More Mischief's Biogio's Rose win contributes to $89k payout in Empire 6

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – More Mischief, a bit of a difficult of horse for her connections in the mornings, is starting to become even more difficult on her opposition in the afternoons.

Sunday, More Mischief wreaked havoc on her six foes in the $100,000 Biogio’s Rose Stakes, coming from off the pace under Manny Franco to run down a stubborn Newly Minted and win the stakes for New York-bred females by 2 1/2 lengths. It was 3 1/4 lengths back to No Hayne No Gayne.

Following No Hayne No Gayne in the order of finish were Espresso Shot, Our Super Nova, Mrs. Orb, and Held Accountable. Out of Orbit was scratched and re-entered for Saturday’s $100,000 Broadway Stakes.

The victory was the second straight and fourth in nine starts for More Mischief, a 4-year-old daughter of Into Mischief trained by Chad Brown for Wise Racing.

“She’s a little difficult to train in the morning,” Brown said from Florida. “My staff in New York” including new assistant trainer Dan Stupp “has done a really great job with her. We’ve come up with a little system that’s working for her and we’re starting to see the best of her.”

More Mischief was still a bit headstrong early on in the Biogio’s Rose. She was throwing her head while Franco had her in the clear and off the pace established by Newly Minted and pressed first by Held Accountable and then No Hayne No Gayne. The half-mile went in 46.98 seconds.

Franco rallied More Mischief three wide turning for home. Newly Minted, under Jose Lezcano, put away No Hayne No Gayne in upper stretch, and fought on gamely, but could not fend off More Mischief, who forged to the lead at the eighth pole and gradually edged clear under a busy Franco.

More Mischief covered the mile in 1:38.20 and returned $8.10 as the second choice.

Franco said it helped that Newly Minted got some pressure early.

“When I made my move, I had a lot under me and my filly responded well,” said Franco, who won three races on Sunday’s card and his first stakes of the meet after going 0 for 14.

Brown did not know where More Mischief would make her next start.

Empire 6 returns $89,266.80

The Empire 6 at Aqueduct Sunday returned $89,266.80 to 27 winning tickets in a sequence where favorites went 0 for 6.

The winning sequence of 2-1-3-2-6-8 included Horoscope ($23), Blugrascat’s Smile ($16.20), Local Hero ($8.20), Tribecca ($12.20), More Mischief ($8.10), and Big Cyn ($30.60).

There was $2,558,534 bet into the Empire 6 pool on Sunday on top of a carryover of $363,535 entering the day. Sunday’s mandatory payout is the first of six dates on which the Empire 6 pool must be distributed. The next mandatory payout date is Feb. 23 followed by March 8, March 22, April 5, and April 19.

The Empire 6, a 20-cent minimum bet, requires the bettor to correctly select the winners of the last six winners on a NYRA card. The entire pool is only distributed if there is a unique ticket or, as is typically the case, on mandatory payout days.

Live racing resumes at Aqueduct on Friday, kicking off a four-day race week that ends with a Presidents Day card on Monday Feb. 17.