Walsh has familiar plan for Intricate

Pretty Mischievous, a filly trained by Brendan Walsh, finished third in the 2022 Golden Rod at Churchill Downs while making her third start, wintered at Fair Grounds, and came back to Louisville to win the Kentucky Oaks.

Intricate went two places better than Pretty Mischievous, landing the Golden Rod on Saturday while making her third start. Intricate won by more than five lengths and earned an 85 Beyer Speed Figure, one of the three highest numbers this year in a two-turn dirt race for 2-year-old fillies.

Intricate, by Gun Runner, debuted in a Churchill sprint, finishing fifth, before winning a Keeneland route in advance of her Golden Rod victory, which did come with a perfect pocket trip.

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“She’s very nice and very straightforward. You don’t even know she’s in the barn,” said Walsh.

Pretty Mischievous won the Untapable in late December at Fair Grounds, but while Walsh said no solid plan has been formed for Intricate, it doesn’t seem likely she’ll race again this year.

“We’ll keep her ticking over and pick our spots,” Walsh said.

Walsh might have a horse, Snead, for the Gun Runner Stakes on the same Dec. 23 card as the Untapable. Snead, coming off a one-mile Churchill maiden win, captured a Fair Grounds first-level dirt-route allowance Nov. 23 by more than seven lengths, earning a moderate 80 Beyer. Walsh believes the Nyquist colt “is a horse with a lot of upside.”

Pretty Mischievous, taken out of the Breeders’ Cup Distaff after shipping to California, is getting a brief break from racetrack life but is scheduled to show up at Fair Grounds in mid-December.

Banishing second off layoff

The Thursday feature at Fair Grounds is race 8, a third-level turf mile allowance race with an $80,000 claiming option, but the most interesting horse on the card runs in race 9.

Banishing, a Godolphin homebred trained by Brendan Walsh, makes his second start following an extended layoff in a first-level dirt allowance at 1 1/16 miles.

Banishing last Dec. 26 scored a second-start Fair Grounds maiden route win by 8 1/2 lengths, getting a flashy 90 Beyer. He came back about a month later and finished a well-beaten fifth at even money in a first-level allowance race and wasn’t seen again until Nov. 2, when Banishing broke awkwardly before checking in third going a one-turn mile short of his best trip.

“He probably needed that first run back a little more than I thought, and I expect him to move forward,” said Walsh. “He works at home like a very, very good horse.”

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