Versatile Mutasaabeq back on dirt and the Kentucky Derby trail

It remains to be seen whether Mutasaabeq will appreciate the added distance that the Kentucky Derby will bring, but to this point, he already has proven himself a talented and versatile runner.

These traits were on full display at Gulfstream Park on Saturday as the son of Into Mischief ran to victory in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes.

Trainer Todd Pletcher, who has trained more than his share of champions in the last few decades, knows a good horse when he sees one, and the two-time Kentucky Derby winning trainer always has liked what he’s seen from Shadwell Stable-owned runner.

Purchased for $425,000 as a yearling at the Keeneland November Sale, Mutasaabeq made his career debut at Saratoga last August. Known for having his juveniles ready to run at the Spa, his soon-to-be Hall of Fame trainer had impressive words for the colt after he powered home an authoritative winner in 1:03.55 for the 5 1/2 furlongs.

"He had probably two of the fastest gate works we've ever had here at Saratoga," said Pletcher. "His first step isn't that quick, we knew that going in. But once he gets going, he gets to be pretty fast. He put in an impressive run around the turn and it seemed like he had a lot in reserve.”

Hammered down to odds of 4-5 for his debut, the well-liked colt was quickly placed in the deep end of the pool next and, unable to break quickly, he was thrashed by the blazing speed of Jackie’s Warrior in his second career start. That well-beaten third in the Grade 1 Hopeful temporarily put Mutasaabeq on an alternate path.

That alternative path was a new surface. Pletcher worked the colt a few times on the grass after the Hopeful and liked what he saw, prompting him to run in the Bourbon (G2) on the Keeneland turf. The result was eye-catching.

After a slow beginning, Mutasaabeq was still last as the field of 11 hit the stretch of the 1 1/16-mile race. From there he turned on the afterburners and he quickly went from last to first. It was the kind of move that only a horse of talent can turn in, and one that carried him to an easy victory in his third career start.

“He's a horse that has speed, and he has a tremendous turn of foot as you saw today. But he's notoriously not been great the first jump or two away from the gate,” said Pletcher after the Bourbon win. “He delivered an explosive turn of foot.”

The impressive victory in his turf debut naturally moved him forward to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf at the same course. Unfortunately for the second choice in the large field of 14, he bounced around a bit in mid-pack and never was able to make a move. He came home beaten better than 10 lengths, which again prompted a change in tactics with the talented colt. 

After the disappointment of the Breeders’ Cup, his team decided to give Mutasaabeq another try on dirt, the surface in which he looked so good in breaking his maiden.

“I think he’s versatile like we see with most Into Mischiefs. We’ve seen them run on both surfaces,” Pletcher said. “We’d like to see him on dirt again to help clarify that.”

In the Mucho Macho Man, the first of the stakes preps in South Florida leading to the Florida Derby, Mutasaabeq not only reaffirmed his ability to handle the dirt, he also displayed excellent tactical speed while tracking solid early fractions. In the lane he proved best while finishing the mile at Gulfstream Park in racehorse time of 1:35.96 under regular rider Luis Saez.

As for his immediate future, his trainer continued to display belief in the two-time stakes winner.

“We’ll talk to the team at Shadwell, and we’ll come up with a plan,” Pletcher said after the Mucho Macho Man. “We’re delighted with today’s performance and look forward to another one.”

Out of the young Scat Daddy broodmare Downside Scenario, who won only a maiden special weight on the grass in eight career starts, there are distance questions that still need to be answered by Mutasaabeq. But as we’ve seen from stars such as Beholder and Authentic, the truly quality bloodline of Into Mischief absolutely can handle the classic distances.

Does Mutasaabeq have that type of potential? Only time will tell. But now an impressive stakes winner on both turf and dirt, he begins the new year as one of the more interesting 3-year-olds on the Kentucky Derby trail.