Giant Mischief gets two-turn test in Springboard Mile

The undefeated Giant Mischief will take on a diverse cast of 2-year-olds Saturday night in the $400,000 Springboard Mile, a Kentucky Derby points race that closes the meet at Remington Park.

A field of nine is set to start in the Springboard, which offers points to the first five finishers on a scale of 10-4-3-2-1. However, just three horses are eligible to collect points – Echo Again, Gunflash, and Campfire Creed – because they are not racing on the diuretic Lasix.

Campfire Creed is one of three stakes winners in the field, alongside Wildatlanticstorm and Ghost Hero. Their stakes wins came at Remington. Echo Again and Giant Mischief are both invading from Fair Grounds.

“I think it’s pretty wide open,” said trainer Donnie Von Hemel, who won the allowance prep with entrant Lil Sweet Thang. “I think it’s going to be a good race.”

The Springboard Mile will be showcased on a card of six stakes that has a special first post of 5 p.m. Central. The offerings include the $100,000 Trapeze for 2-year-old fillies and the $100,000 Jeffrey Hawk Memorial that drew Rated R Superstar and Caddo River. The Springboard is the last race on the card, slotted as the 12th with a post of 10:19 p.m.

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Giant Mischief won his maiden over 5 1/2 furlongs on Sept. 22 at Horseshoe Indianapolis. He met winners one start later, on Breeders’ Cup Friday at Keeneland, and won a first-level allowance over odds-on favorite Arabian Lion. Giant Mischief battled to the wire for a three-quarter-length win, and for the effort earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 95.

“It was a big run,” said Brad Cox, who trains Giant Mischief. “One thing about his horse – and obviously he’s only run twice – but he improved a good bit the second start. He really responded when called upon to finish down the lane and galloped out well.”

The race came over seven-eighths. Giant Mischief, who is by Into Mischief and out of the Grade 2-winning mare Vertical Oak, will chart some new territory Saturday.

“We’re giving him an opportunity around two turns, and he’s trained like he can get it,” Cox said. “I thought this race fit very well on the calendar for him.”

Florent Geroux was aboard Giant Mischief last out and has the mount again Saturday from post 5.

Echo Again will start from the rail under Ricardo Santana Jr. The rider was aboard when the son of Gun Runner won his debut in August at Saratoga. Echo Again rolled by six lengths in the maiden-special sprint, and the Beyer of 94 that he earned made him the favorite one start later in the Grade 3 Iroquois in September at Churchill Downs, a race in which he was prominent and ended up seventh. Echo Again is from the female family of Pyro and Olympio and is trained by six-time Springboard Mile winner Steve Asmussen.

Lil Sweet Thing earned a strong Beyer of 87 for his win in an allowance at a mile on Nov. 21 at Remington.

“I think he has some talent,” Von Hemel said.

Gunflash is a half-brother to multiple stakes winner Flash of Mischief, while Wildatlanticstorm is coming off a key-race win in the $100,000 Clever Trevor.

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