Mutasaabeq an Easy Debut Winner for Shadwell

A day after some of the nation's leading 2-year-olds competed in the Saratoga Special Stakes Presented by Miller Lite (G2), another promising youngster by the name of Mutasaabeq was unveiled Aug. 8 in the fifth race at Saratoga Race Course. Backed to 4-5 favoritism in a $72,000 maiden special weight contest after a pair of bullet gate works at Saratoga, the Todd Pletcher-trained and Shadwell Stable-owned colt pressed the early pace on the outside before taking command and pulling away by 4 1 /2 lengths. He raced 5 1/2 furlongs under Luis Saez in 1:03.55, the fastest of eight races for juveniles on dirt at the distance at Saratoga this summer. He returned $3.70 for a $2 win wager. The filly Guana Cay, third in her debut last month at Keeneland, finished second, followed by first-time starter Raise the Rent in third. A son of Into Mischief bred in Kentucky by BlackRidge Stables, Mutasaabeq is the only foal of racing age out of the Scat Daddy mare Downside Scenario. The dam, who recorded her lone victory in eight starts in a 5 1/2-furlong grass maiden race at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots in 2016, also has a California Chrome yearling filly and foaled an Uncle Mo colt this year. Downside Scenario, claimed for $40,000 by owner/trainer Steve Asmussen in August 2016, was sold for $250,000 in foal at the 2018 January Horses of All Ages Sale at Keeneland, carrying Mutasaabeq. BlackRidge purchased the mare from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment. Taylor Made consigned Mutasaabeq to the 2018 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, where Shadwell purchased him for $425,000. Another juvenile scoring at first asking Saturday at Saratoga was American Monarch ($16.60), a son of American Pharoah who captured a 1 1/16-mile maiden turf race by a half-length under Junior Alvarado. He raced the distance in 1:44.79 on a firm course. Hall of Famer Bill Mott trains the colt for owner/breeder Mike Rutherford. The winner is out of the grade 2-placed Giant's Causeway mare Front Range.