Thoughtfully Finishes Ahead of Make Mischief to Win Adirondack

Thoughtfully was bred by Gainseway Thoroughbreds in Kentucky and is out of the Seeking the Gold mare Pension. A half-sister to Grade 2 winner Annual Report, the filly was purchased by her owners for $950,000 at The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select yearling sale in New York. She was bred to do well at longer distances, and she could possibly start in the Breeders' Cup.

"She's a super nice, classy filly. Today, going 6 1/2 (furlongs), I thought to take my time with her," jockey Ricardo Santana Jr. said. "It's her second time out, and we wanted to teach her something. She responded really well. She has a lot of class."

Thoughtfully sat in fourth after the gate broke open, letting Ava's Grace, pressed by Make Mischief, take the lead. Ava's Grace posted a quarter-mile in:22.300 and a half-mile in 46/12 with Make Mischief following closely. 

After being stuck in traffic for most of the turn, Santana moved his mount to the four path going into the stretch, and the pair came off the turn strongly. After straightening out, Thoughtfully pushed forward and moved past the leaders, crossing the wire with a time of 1:17.20. Her final sixteenth went in:06.39.

Thoughtfully returned $4, $2.60, and $2.10 across the board for her victory as the even-money favorite.

"It's her second time out and I didn't want to put her on the lead," said Santana. "We were sitting behind the speed and she was feeling happy and comfortable where she was. I was really happy with her, too, and I was just waiting for the hole to open, and she gave me a really good kick."

Santana was also jockey for her June 11 debut.

In her unveiling at Churchill Downs, Thoughtfully crushed the field of eight other fillies. She won by 8 3/4 lengths for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen. 

"She does the same thing in the morning. She's so special," Ricardo said. "When you work horses like her in the morning, you know what you have in the race. I was really happy and comfortable with where she was. This was the first time behind horses; last time (at Churchill Downs), she was in the clear. Steve did a great job with her, and (assistant trainer) Scott Blasi and everyone did well with her. We're really happy with her."

Make Mischief, who is trained by Mark Casse, made it up to second in the Adirondack, while Ava's Grace followed in third a length behind. 

Make Mischief took her June 18 debut at Belmont Park and now has finished runner-up in two straight graded stakes. After setting the pace four weeks ago in the Schuylerville Stakes (G3), she was passed up by Dayoutoftheoffice to finish second.

"She broke well," jockey John Velazquez said. "She was on the lead last time, so I wasn't going to fight her. The other ones decided to go, so I sat off them on the outside and waited for the others to come to me. I asked her and she responded, but the winner was very good."

Following her Adirondack win, Thoughtfully will look to improve on her 2-for-2 record and continue drawing attention to herself with impressive performances.