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Spendthrift stallion sires a stakes double on Saturday with Mandaloun and Mischevious Alex 

Spendthrift stallion Into Mischief (Harlan’s Holiday) sired a stakes double on Saturday, with Mandaloun (3 c ex Brooch by Empire Maker) providing the sire with his 86th stakes winner when he landed the Risen Star Stakes (Gr 2, 9f) at Fair Grounds. Into Mischief’s other stakes winner was provided by Mischevious Alex’s (4 c ex White Plants Night by Speightstown) win in the Gulfstream Park Sprint Stakes (Gr 3, 6f) at Gulfstream. 

Owned and bred by Juddmonte Farms, the Brad Cox-trained Mandaloun earned himself 50 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby with his Grade 2 victory. Under Florent Geroux, Mandaloun raced in third and three wide behind the leaders. Taking the lead in the closing stages, he ran on well to defeat Proxy (Tapit) by a length and a quarter, while Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow) was another half length away in third. 

“He’s a good horse. I really like him,” said Cox. 

Mandaloun is out of the Grade 2 winner Brooch (Empire Maker) who has produced one other winner. His second dam is Listed winner Daring Diva (Dansili), a sister to Matron Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) winner Emulous and Group 3 winner First Sitting. 

"He's an Into Mischief who is out of an Empire Maker mare and has a lot of the Empire Maker look in him and he has the color of Into Mischief about him," said Garrett O'Rourke, Juddmonte general manager USA. 

"In breeding these Empire Maker mares to Into Mischief, you dream about getting a horse with Into Mischief's speed and Empire Maker's stamina and it looks like Mandaloun has it. He can get out there and just keep it going."

The John Servis-trained Mischevious Alex meanwhile remained unbeaten in two starts this year, having won over six furlongs on January 10, when he landed the Gulfstream Park Sprint Stakes. Options being considered for him include the Carter Handicap (Gr 1, 7f) or Golden Shaheen (Gr 1, 1200m) at Meydan on Dubai World Cup night. 

Into Mischief’s 2021 fee is US$225,000 and his book is advertised as full.