Eclipse winner Pretty Mischievous pointed at La Troienne for her return

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Pretty Mischievous, who won the 2023 Kentucky Oaks during an Eclipse Award championship campaign, is expected to be back beneath the twin spires on the first Friday in May. The filly is targeting the Grade 1, $1 million La Troienne Stakes, on the Oaks undercard May 3 at Churchill Downs, for her 4-year-old debut.

Pretty Mischievous, a Godolphin homebred trained by Brendan Walsh, arrived recently at Keeneland, where she will train before Walsh’s string sets up at Churchill Downs in the coming weeks. She turned in six works at Palm Meadows in Florida before shipping north, most recently stepping up to five furlongs on March 28.

“She's done great, she had a great winter,” Walsh said of his stable star. “Tyler [Gaffalione] worked her, and was delighted with her. She's on target. We'll probably do two or three bits of work with her [at Keeneland] and then do her last piece over there and run her.”

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Pretty Mischievous won the Oaks and Grade 1 Acorn, was credited with a win in the Grade 1 Test, and won the Grade 2 Rachel Alexandra in her championship campaign. She most recently started when second in the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes in September. She was targeting the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita, but experienced a slight touch of colic after shipping across the country and then was dull in training, causing her connections to scratch her. She was then freshened for this year’s campaign.

“She's getting stronger, I think, and has filled out more,” Walsh said. “We gave her a nice break. We sent her to the farm when she got back from the Breeders' Cup last year, so she had at least two months off. She seems as enthusiastic in her training as she's ever been. She just loves it.”

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