New tactics propel Golden Mischief to Delta Downs Princess

Golden Mischief has learned a new trick over the past several months and used it to win the $100,000 My Trusty Cat last Friday night at Delta Downs in Vinton, La. Now, she has earned a chance at the meet’s biggest prize for 2-year-old fillies. Trainer Steve Asmussen said Golden Mischief is being pointed to the Grade 3, $400,000 Delta Downs Princess.

Golden Mischief won her third straight race in the My Trusty Cat and got her first stakes victory. She also was making her two-turn debut in the seven-furlong race. During her streak, Golden Mischief has rallied from off the pace in her races. It’s a contrast in style to her prior starts, when she dueled for the lead in races at Churchill Downs and Belmont Park.

“Obviously, we’re very pleased with her,” said Asmussen, who trains Golden Mischief for Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt. “Changed tactics, been a different mare. The Princess is the target for her.”

The Princess will share a card with the Grade 3, $1 million Delta Downs Jackpot for 2-year-olds on Nov. 19. Pre-entries for both races will be taken Tuesday. There were 102 fillies nominated to the one-mile Princess and 169 head made eligible for the 1 1/16-mile Jackpot.

Golden Mischief is a daughter of Into Mischief. Her streak started in a maiden special weight Aug. 26 at Ellis Park and continued with a Sept. 22 allowance win at Churchill. In the My Trusty Cat, she was content to settle about five lengths behind leader Flatter Up and then advanced on the final turn and ran that one down in the stretch to earn a Beyer Speed Figure of 72.

Bling On the Music sidelined

Bling On the Music, a multiple stakes winner who ran fourth as the favorite in the My Trusty Cat, has been sidelined, said owner Danny Keene. She came out of the prep for the Delta Downs Princess with a slab fracture to her right knee and was to undergo surgery this week.

Keene said her physical rehabilitation will determine whether Bling On the Music will race again or be retired.

“We’ll just have to see,” he said. “We’ll give her the best of care. If she comes back to race, that’s good.”

Keene said if Bling On the Music does not resume racing, she will make a nice addition to his broodmare band.

Bling On the Music came into the My Trusty Cat off a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Pocahontas at Churchill Downs. Earlier in the season, she won the fillies’ division of the $100,000 Texas Thoroughbred Futurity at Lone Star Park and defeated males by 13 lengths in the $100,000 Gold Rush Futurity at Arapahoe Park.