Managing Mischief turns back but distance experiment not over

On paper, it looks like Tim Hamm is cutting Managing Mischief back in distance because she failed to succeed when sent long for the first time in the Suncoast Stakes earlier this month.

The reality is, Hamm would have preferred to run Managing Mischief long again, except the first-level allowance race going two turns failed to fill. Instead, Hamm is running Managing Mischief on Wednesday in a first-level allowance at Tampa Bay Downs going six furlongs where she looks like the horse to beat.

“I feel at the end of the day she’s probably a better sprinter but I thought she ran a respectable race going long the first time so we wanted to run her back long and it didn’t go,” Hamm said. “In lieu of shipping, we went in this spot which I think she’s well suited for, but I didn’t want to give up the long experiment quite yet.”

Managing Mischief won her maiden going six furlongs at Tampa by two lengths on Jan. 13, her third career start. In the Suncoast, she set a pressured pace but fought on into deep stretch. She was ultimately beaten 3 1/2 lengths by Power Squeeze, who was winning her third straight race. Managing Mischief was beaten just three-quarters of a length for second.

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“I was really happily surprised with her route race when we ran her long in the Suncoast; that was really an afterthought, short field, I said, what the heck, no better shot than to give it a try,” Hamm said.

Hamm, who is having a solid meet with eight winners from 65 starters, said he was high on Managing Mischief from the beginning, which was evident by the fact he ran her first time at Saratoga, where she finished fifth in an eight-horse field.

“After the Saratoga race, we gave her some time to grow up a little bit,” Hamm said. “I thought her races sprinting – especially when she broke her maiden – were very respectable.”

Angel Arroyo will ride Managing Mischief from the rail.

Managing Mischief is the 8-5 favorite in this six-horse field which includes another Hamm-trained horse, Maiden Lane, and a filly formerly trained by Hamm, Rotondo.

Maiden Lane, a daughter of Street Sense, will try dirt for the first time after three runs on synthetic at Presque Isle Downs and one try on turf at Tampa earlier in the meet that did not go well.

“Her breeding would suggest dirt should not be an issue at all,” Hamm said. “Young horse, got a little freshening, I thought we would try the turf. I like to give them all a shot on the turf. That didn’t go as well as I would have liked. I think this a good spot to see how she dirts.”

Rotondo won a maiden race over Presque Isle’s synthetic surface. Hamm said he and his partners on that horse, Perrine Time Thoroughbreds, dissolved their partnership, with Perrine buying the filly. Rotondo goes out first time for Kathleen O’Connell.

Trainer Carlos Munoz sends out the uncoupled pair of Corinth and Genuine Peril. Corinth is 1 for 10 but comes out of a third-place finish at 87-1 in the Gasparilla Stakes where she finished 4 3/4 lengths ahead of Genuine Peril.

Betsylicious, sixth in the Sandpiper on Dec. 2 after a debut victory at Colonial Downs in September, completes the field.

Drip eyes Tampa Bay Derby

Drip, an eye-catching debut winner sprinting at Fair Grounds on Feb. 17, is being pointed to the Grade 3, $400,000 Tampa Bay Derby on March 9, trainer Whit Beckman said Monday.

Drip, a son of Good Magic, flashed good speed and led gate to wire in winning his debut over a sloppy track by 2 1/4 lengths. He ran six furlongs in 1:09.77 and earned a 94 Beyer Speed Figure.

Beckman said Drip “exceeded my expectations” on debut, but added he would have run him a mile first time if such a race was available. In looking at his options moving forward, Beckman likes the 1 1/16-mile distance of the Tampa Bay Derby and said he felt it may be the best possible spot to see if he should continue down the Kentucky Derby trail.

“This is a really good horse, we’re under the gun,” Beckman said. “Can he be that good as far as making it? For sure. If I thought no, I wouldn’t even consider it. If the race comes up to where he’s not giving up a ton of experience, I think it’s worth taking a shot.”

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Beckman likened Drip’s situation to that of Cloud Computing, whom he worked with when he was an assistant to Chad Brown. In 2017, Cloud Computing won his debut on Feb. 11, ran second in the Gotham, and third in the Wood Memorial. After skipping the Kentucky Derby, Cloud Computing won the Preakness.

“This horse, it’s the same kind of thing. He’s bred to run all day,” Beckman said. “Figure while we have some sunshine we might try to make some hay and see if the Derby is a possibility.”

Meanwhile, Beckman said that Honor Marie, the Kentucky Jockey Club winner who finished fifth in the Risen Star, remains on schedule for the Louisiana Derby on March 23.

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