Into Mystic starts off 2021 with a stakes win
January 9, 2021
Into Mischief tallied his fourth stakes winner in just the first nine days of the new year on Saturday when Into Mystic won Fair Grounds’ $75,000 Nelson J. Menard Memorial S. at 5 ½-furlongs on the turf.
The 5-year-old mare was coming off an excellent 2020 where she won or placed in five black type events and now sports a record of 6-3-3 in 17 starts and earnings of $334,573 for owners George Coleman and Brad King.
Trained by Brendan Walsh, Into Mystic found a good spot in third after being eased off the pace by jockey Florent Geroux. Urged on when the field entered the stretch, she kicked on nicely to run by the pacesetters to win by a length in 1:04.53 on the “good” turf.
“I talked it over with Brendan before the race and we thought that was the best option for our filly,” Geroux said. “Let Elle Z just go to the lead, put my filly in a nice cozy spot not too far off those two horses in front. We had a nice, smooth trip and when I asked her turning for home, she gave me a very nice kick. She proved she was the best filly in the race.”
The winner was bred in Kentucky by Runnymede Farm Inc. and Catesby Clay Investment 2 LLC. Into Mystic’s dam Loveofalifetime has a pair of graded stakes-winning siblings.
Into Mischief enters 2021 as the reigning two-time leading General Sire. His record-setting 2020 included progeny earnings of an astounding $22.1 million, an all-time record for a single season.