Mystic Lake holds off Emery in Inside Information
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HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Mystic Lake withstood a long pace duel, then dug in gamely in the final yards to register a hard-fought and well-deserved neck victory over 4-5 favorite Emery on Saturday at Gulfstream Park in a thrilling Grade 2 Inside Information Stakes.
The $132,000 winner’s share of a $215,000 purse swelled Mystic Lake’s career earnings over the $1 million mark.
Mystic Lake closed out her 3-year-old campaign defeating older horses for the first time in the six-furlong Sugar Swirl on December 21 and has proven even better when stretching out to seven panels, as she did in the Inside Information. Her victory on Saturday was her fourth in five starts at the distance.
The Inside Information was a thriller from flag fall to finish despite scratching down from nine to only five starters by post time, with no more than a neck separating the leaders at any point in the race.
Mystic Lake, per usual, showed in front early, battling last year’s Inside Information winner Olivia Darling and the multiple graded stakes winner Emery for the early advantage. The entire field was separated by only a length before Olivia Darling and the slow-starting Haulin Ice threw in the towel at the quarter pole.
Jody’s Pride, competing at under a mile for the first time since winning the Matron in her second lifetime start during fall 2023, waited patiently behind the embattled leaders before splitting horses and engaging for command entering the stretch. She stuck her head in front under vigorous urging from jockey Luis Saez nearing the furlong grounds, at which point Mystic Lake re-asserted herself, regained a narrow advantage through midstretch before holding safe one last bid by the favorite at the end.
Emery was hung outside the leaders in the run down the backstretch, remained widest while still lapped on the top pair exiting the turn, dug in and came with one final surge in the final sixteenth but fell just short with the try. It was another head back to Jody’s Pride, who turned in a game effort in defeat.
Dazzling Move, Miuccia and the Bill Mott-trained pair of Nick’s Style and Sterling Silver were all scratched earlier in the day.
Mystic Lake, a 4-year-old daughter of Mo Town, is owned by C2 Racing Stable and Steania Farms and gave her trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. his second consecutive Grade 2 victory on the card. She completed the distance over a fast track in 1:22.59 seconds (96 Beyer Speed Figure) and returned $6.40.
Joseph said as the leaders came to midstretch he thought his horse was destined to finish second after relinquishing the advantage to Jody’s Pride at that point.
“When he first engaged with the 6 horse (Jody’s Pride) I knew Irad still had some horse but at one point I thought the 6 was going to win,” Joseph said. “Things started looking better and better, but then I thought the 9 (Emery) was going to nail her (Mystic Lake). Thanks God she held on.”
Joseph said he felt his filly showed a new dimension in the Inside Information.
“She never really got in a battle like that before, she’s usually a filly with speed and holds on,” Joseph noted. “Today she showed guts. To be honest, I never expected her to be this good. She’s just continued to get better and better. She’s gone over $1 million now. It’s been like a dream.”
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