Mia Mischief much the best in Carousel

Mia Mischief dominated Saturday's $125,000 Carousel at Oaklawn Park, stalking long-time leader Amy's Challenge to upper stretch and blowing past that one to win the 6-furlong dash comfortably under Ricardo Santana Jr.

"I think she's better now than she's ever been," said trainer Steve Asmussen, who trains the 5-year-old daughter of Into Mischief for Stonestreet Stables.

The 3-2 second choice in a field of eight fillies and mares, Mia Mischief scored by 4 1/2 lengths, sped in 1:09.57 over a fast track, and paid $5. Amy's Challenge set fractions of :21.91 and :45.21, but wasn't classy enough while easily proving second best by 3 1/4 lengths.

Farther back in third was 45-1 chance Lady Suebee, while 7-5 favorite Bellafina weakened to fourth. The latter broke slow from post 1 and got shuffled back to last soon after. Making a wide bid into third around the turn, the multiple Grade 1 winner flattened out in the stretch after that early move. Sunny Dale, Classy Act, Midnight Fantasy, and What a Fox completed the order of finish.

Mia Mischief is herself a Grade 1 winner, having taken the Humana Distaff (G1) last May after running second in Carousel. She later beat eventual division champion Covfefe in the Roxelena S. at Churchill, but under whelmed twice at Saratoga and did not pursue the Breeders' Cup.

Finishing off her 2019 campaign on a more positive note taking the Dream Supreme S. at Churchill by five lengths, she opened her 2020 account with an odds-on allowance win at Oaklawn on May 20.

"Hopefully we end up at the Breeders' Cup (at Keeneland this fall), and I think the ability that she has, that's the direction she should be headed in," said Asmussen.

This was the sixth lifetime stakes win for Into Mischief, who also captured the Eight Belles (G2) and Purple Martin as a 3-year-old. She's placed in six other stakes and has now earned $1,215,234 from a line of 21-10-6-1.

Bred in Kentucky by Spendthrift Farm, Mia Mischief was produced by Greer Lynn, a Speightstown half-sister to Grade 3 winners Sing Baby Sing and Roll Hennessy Roll, Grade 1-placed stakes winner Value Plus, and the Grade 3-placed stakes winner Majorbigtimesheet.