Prior to last Sunday’s Pucker Up Stakes (USA-G3) at Ellis Park, lightly-raced Waves of Mischief was not on anyone’s list of the top American 3-year-old fillies on turf. Following the race, that may have changed. Rebounding from an ignominious last-place finish in the June 29 Selene Stakes (CAN-G3) on Woodbine’s all-weather surface, Waves of Mischief threw in a huge race in the Pucker Up to run down favored Regret Stakes (USA-G3) winner Pin Up Betty by a head. For her effort, Waves of Mischief earned a 112 Equibase speed figure, comparing favorably to the back-to-back 110 ratings posted by Cinderella’s Dream in winning the Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (USA-G1) and the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Oaks Invitational Stakes (USA-G2) in her last two outings.
Given that Waves of Mischief’s race represented a 24-point jump from her previous top figure (an 88 in her maiden outing) and a 49-point swing from the Selene Stakes, the Brendan Walsh trainee will need to show that she can turn in strong races consistently before she merits comparison with the best of her division. Nevertheless, the Pucker Up represents a big step forward for a well-bred filly with the credentials to be an excellent broodmare when the time comes.
Bred by Pam and Martin Wygod, Waves of Mischief was a US$575,000 purchase for owner Qatar Racing from the 2023 Ocala Breeders’ Sales April sale of 2-year-olds in training, While a 10-second furlong during the breeze show did not hurt her stock any, her pedigree was probably a greater attraction. Sired by five-time American champion sire Into Mischief, Waves of Mischief is a great-granddaughter of 2009 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Sweet Life, no small recommendation for a broodmare prospect.
Sired by the good Roberto stallion Kris S. (a solid influence for stamina), Sweet Life is one of four stakes winners produced from the stakes-placed Flying Paster mare Symbolically. The best of the group was Pirate’s Revenge (by the fine California regional sire Pirate’s Bounty), who won the 1995 Milady Handicap (USA-G1) and Bayakoa Handicap (USA-G2). In addition to her stakes winners, Symbolically also produced Symbolic (by Silver Deputy), second dam of 2018 Robert J. Frankel Stakes (USA-G3) winner Fahan Mura (by English Channel).
Sweet Life showed talent not too far off that of Pirate’s Revenge, winning the restricted Providencia Stakes at Santa Anita at 3 and running second in the 2000 Beverly Hills Handicap (USA-G1) the following year. As a broodmare, she got off to an excellent start with her first foal, Sweet Catomine (by Storm Cat), who won the Del Mar Debutante Stakes (USA-G1), Oak Leaf Stakes (USA-G2), and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (USA-G1) to claim the 2004 Eclipse Award as American champion 2-year-old filly. Sweet Catomine trained on to win the 2005 Santa Anita Oaks (USA-G1) but proved a disappointing broodmare, though she is the second dam of stakes winners Naughty Thoughts (by The Factor) and Inthewinner’scircle (by Medaglia d’Oro).
Following Sweet Catomine, Sweet Life produced the winning Giant’s Causeway mare Sweet Way, dam of three stakes-placed runners and second dam of listed stakes winner Committee of One (by Mendelssohn). Gold West, a winning gelding by Gone West, came next, and Sweet Life then produced Sweet Catomine’s full sister Life Is Sweet in 2005. The winner of the 2009 Santa Margaret Invitational Handicap (USA-G1) in March at Santa Anita, Life Is Sweet returned to Santa Anita for the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (USA-G1) that fall and ably deputized for her stablemate Zenyatta, who had been entered against the males in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (USA-G1). (She won, making her the only filly or mare to date to have done so.) Running the race of her life at 8-1 odds, Life Is Sweet put in a Zenyatta-like late run of her own to win by 2½ lengths. Unfortunately, her broodmare career has not reflected her racing merit, though she is the second dam of the minor stakes winner Batucada (by Union Rags). She last produced a live foal, the Uncle Mo filly Life’s for Living, in 2021.
Sweet Life’s third and final stakes winner is listed stakes winner Calmonico (by Storm Cat), who placed in two Grade 2 races, She is also the dam of Symbolic Gesture (by Bernardini), who is the dam of 2020 Risen Star Stakes (USA-G2) winner Modernist (by Uncle Mo).
Ain’t She Sweet, a full sister to all three of Sweet Life’s stakes winners, never made it to the racetrack and, like her more accomplished sisters, never produced a black-type runner in spite of being bred to a series of top-rank sires. Pearl River, her unraced daughter by four-time Grade 1 winner Quality Road, is the first of her daughters to come up with a runner of significance, producing Waves of Mischief as her third foal. Since then, the mare has foaled Stars and Stripes, a 2022 colt by Not This Time who has yet to race, and an unnamed 2023 colt by Nyquist.
A top-class broodmare based on her own production record, Sweet Life has not bred on as well as might be hoped through her daughters and granddaughters. Nevertheless, Waves of Mischief certainly gives reason to hope for a sweet future for this family, both during the remainder of her racing career and during her future broodmare career.
Given that Waves of Mischief’s race represented a 24-point jump from her previous top figure (an 88 in her maiden outing) and a 49-point swing from the Selene Stakes, the Brendan Walsh trainee will need to show that she can turn in strong races consistently before she merits comparison with the best of her division. Nevertheless, the Pucker Up represents a big step forward for a well-bred filly with the credentials to be an excellent broodmare when the time comes.
Bred by Pam and Martin Wygod, Waves of Mischief was a US$575,000 purchase for owner Qatar Racing from the 2023 Ocala Breeders’ Sales April sale of 2-year-olds in training, While a 10-second furlong during the breeze show did not hurt her stock any, her pedigree was probably a greater attraction. Sired by five-time American champion sire Into Mischief, Waves of Mischief is a great-granddaughter of 2009 Kentucky Broodmare of the Year Sweet Life, no small recommendation for a broodmare prospect.
Sired by the good Roberto stallion Kris S. (a solid influence for stamina), Sweet Life is one of four stakes winners produced from the stakes-placed Flying Paster mare Symbolically. The best of the group was Pirate’s Revenge (by the fine California regional sire Pirate’s Bounty), who won the 1995 Milady Handicap (USA-G1) and Bayakoa Handicap (USA-G2). In addition to her stakes winners, Symbolically also produced Symbolic (by Silver Deputy), second dam of 2018 Robert J. Frankel Stakes (USA-G3) winner Fahan Mura (by English Channel).
Sweet Life showed talent not too far off that of Pirate’s Revenge, winning the restricted Providencia Stakes at Santa Anita at 3 and running second in the 2000 Beverly Hills Handicap (USA-G1) the following year. As a broodmare, she got off to an excellent start with her first foal, Sweet Catomine (by Storm Cat), who won the Del Mar Debutante Stakes (USA-G1), Oak Leaf Stakes (USA-G2), and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (USA-G1) to claim the 2004 Eclipse Award as American champion 2-year-old filly. Sweet Catomine trained on to win the 2005 Santa Anita Oaks (USA-G1) but proved a disappointing broodmare, though she is the second dam of stakes winners Naughty Thoughts (by The Factor) and Inthewinner’scircle (by Medaglia d’Oro).
Following Sweet Catomine, Sweet Life produced the winning Giant’s Causeway mare Sweet Way, dam of three stakes-placed runners and second dam of listed stakes winner Committee of One (by Mendelssohn). Gold West, a winning gelding by Gone West, came next, and Sweet Life then produced Sweet Catomine’s full sister Life Is Sweet in 2005. The winner of the 2009 Santa Margaret Invitational Handicap (USA-G1) in March at Santa Anita, Life Is Sweet returned to Santa Anita for the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (USA-G1) that fall and ably deputized for her stablemate Zenyatta, who had been entered against the males in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (USA-G1). (She won, making her the only filly or mare to date to have done so.) Running the race of her life at 8-1 odds, Life Is Sweet put in a Zenyatta-like late run of her own to win by 2½ lengths. Unfortunately, her broodmare career has not reflected her racing merit, though she is the second dam of the minor stakes winner Batucada (by Union Rags). She last produced a live foal, the Uncle Mo filly Life’s for Living, in 2021.
Sweet Life’s third and final stakes winner is listed stakes winner Calmonico (by Storm Cat), who placed in two Grade 2 races, She is also the dam of Symbolic Gesture (by Bernardini), who is the dam of 2020 Risen Star Stakes (USA-G2) winner Modernist (by Uncle Mo).
Ain’t She Sweet, a full sister to all three of Sweet Life’s stakes winners, never made it to the racetrack and, like her more accomplished sisters, never produced a black-type runner in spite of being bred to a series of top-rank sires. Pearl River, her unraced daughter by four-time Grade 1 winner Quality Road, is the first of her daughters to come up with a runner of significance, producing Waves of Mischief as her third foal. Since then, the mare has foaled Stars and Stripes, a 2022 colt by Not This Time who has yet to race, and an unnamed 2023 colt by Nyquist.
A top-class broodmare based on her own production record, Sweet Life has not bred on as well as might be hoped through her daughters and granddaughters. Nevertheless, Waves of Mischief certainly gives reason to hope for a sweet future for this family, both during the remainder of her racing career and during her future broodmare career.
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