McKechnie brings fast works to debut but may want farther

There are several favorable attributes regarding the debut of the 2-year-old filly McKechnie in a maiden race at 5 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar on Saturday.

McKechnie is by top stallion Into Mischief and is the first foal to race out of Mother Mother, a debut winner at Del Mar as a 2-year-old in 2018 who later won minor stakes at Churchill Downs and Santa Anita. Mother Mother was purchased in November 2020 for $1.8 million after her final start.

While McKechnie has an exceptional pedigree, trainer Richard Mandella has some misgivings about Saturday’s distance. A short sprint may not suit McKechnie, he said on Thursday.

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“She might want a little farther,” he said. “She’s kind of a big, leggy filly. She’s ready to go and has trained pretty well. She’s pretty nice.”

Owned and bred by Spendthrift Farm, McKechnie has displayed a series of quick works in recent weeks at Santa Anita and Del Mar.

So have some of her rivals in Saturday’s first race.

Usha, trained by Bob Baffert, worked five furlongs in 1:00.20 at Del Mar last Saturday. By Tiz the Law, Usha was purchased for $600,000 at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale of 2-year-olds in-training in Florida in April. Usha recorded fast works at Santa Anita earlier this month that are certain to attract massive attention from bettors on Saturday.

Baffert and Mandella are off to fine starts with juvenile runners at Del Mar this summer. Baffert won a maiden race with the colt Getaway Car last Saturday, the same day Cayucos won a maiden race for statebred fillies for Mandella.

McKechnie and Usha are part of a field of seven that includes Thought Process, who is by Collected. Thought Process had fast works at Los Alamitos in June and July and a half-mile in 48.20 seconds at Del Mar on July 21 for trainer Phil D’Amato.

Similar to McKechnie, Thought Process may want a longer trip.

“She’s had one work here at Del Mar and hopefully it’s enough,” D’Amato said. “She’s bred to go longer. We’ll see how she does going [5 1/2 furlongs]."

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