LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Godolphin’s raiding party from Charlie Appleby’s Newmarket yard had a stellar Keeneland meet in April. The outfit looks to continue that magic at Churchill Downs, with stakes runners on Saturday starting off with Mischief Magic in the Grade 2, $600,000 Twin Spires Turf Sprint. Mischief Magic, best known for winning the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, is one of three runners on Derby Day at Churchill Downs for Appleby, who also will send out Notable Speech in the English 2000 Guineas on Saturday at Newmarket. In addition to Mischief Magic, the stable has Legend of Time in the Grade 2, $600,000 American Turf and Naval Power in the Grade 1, $1 million Turf Classic. Appleby’s runners made seven starts at Keeneland, all in stakes, and finished first or second in six of those. Master of The Seas and Naval Power ran one-two in the Grade 1 Maker’s Mark Mile, Silver Knott and Bold Act were one-two in the Grade 2 Elkhorn, English Rose was second in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley, and Mischief Magic finished second in the Grade 2 Shakertown. “Charlie had a great meet and placed some horses exceptionally well,” said Michael Banahan, director of bloodstock for Godolphin’s U.S. operations. “We’re happy to come out and support them and cheer them on from America. It’s great to have them over here. They have a nice team of horses, and I think they can be competitive here on Derby Day as well, so it’s nice to add to the American team with our European colleagues coming in.” :: DRF Kentucky Derby Package: Save on PPs, Clocker Reports, Betting Strategies, and more. Mischief Magic came to Keeneland in April off a solid winter campaign in the Middle East. He won the Dubai Sprint in February at Meydan, then was third in the Group 3 Dukhan Sprint in Qatar – a deceptively strong effort, as he was beaten less than a length by the globe-trotting Group 1 winner Emaraaty Ana. In the Shakertown, Mischief Magic, 11th after the opening quarter-mile, emerged with his typical late kick in the stretch, but repeat winner Arzak held him off by a length. Mischief Magic, with Frankie Dettori in the irons, will be looking for some pace to rally into here, as will some of the other key contenders, including Big Invasion and Motorious. Grade 2 winner Big Invasion was second in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint and should be rounding into form. He returns to a course over which he has won previously and makes his second start of this season. Motorious was a two-time graded stakes winner last year in California and was second in last year’s Twin Spires Turf Sprint. Graded stakes winner Mo Stash has done his best work when allowed to get loose on the lead, and he will be hoping additional speed doesn’t materialize. Mo Stash is coming off a Keeneland allowance victory with a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 92. Runners such as Arrest Me Red, Bad Beat Brian, Cogburn, Filo Di Arianna, and Mister Mmmmm have all shown versatile running styles and could be pace candidates, depending on how the race develops. :: Get the Inside Track with the FREE DRF Morning Line Email Newsletter. Subscribe now.  Arrest Me Red, who won the 2022 edition of the Twin Spires Turf Sprint, came from just off the pace in some of his stronger efforts but has pressed the pace in two solid races this year, including an allowance/optional-claiming win last time out on Turfway Park’s Tapeta. Cogburn raced on or near the lead in some solid dirt stakes efforts early in his career. Last summer, he reinvented himself as a rallying turf sprinter, with three stakes wins, highlighted by the Grade 3 Troy Stakes at Saratoga. He makes his 2024 debut off an eight-month layoff. He won his first start of 2023, although against lesser competition, off an eight-month layoff. Knicks Go Stakes The stakes action on Derby Day begins with the $200,000 Knicks Go Overnight Stakes for older horses going a one-turn mile. Brad Cox, who won this race last year with Zozos, has this year’s morning-line favorite, Best Actor. Best Actor is cutting back to a preferred distance after finishing a close second in the Grade 3 Mineshaft Stakes at 1 1/16 miles, then fifth after dueling early in the Grade 2 New Orleans Classic at 1 1/8 miles. He is unbeaten at Churchill Downs and is unbeaten at a one-turn mile. His only loss at the distance came last summer at Ellis Park, where the configuration of the track makes it essentially a 1 1/2-turn race. “I like the idea of cutting him back to a one-turn mile,” Cox said. “He’s performed well at Churchill and Aqueduct going a one-turn mile. . . . We were able to win [this race] last year, so it’s something we’ve been pointing toward since the New Orleans Handicap with Best Actor.” :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.