Honest Mischief, Galilean among stallions seeking success in Saturday’s rich NYSSS program

A pair of $500,000 events slated for Saturday in the New York Stallion Stakes Series program, races restricted to eligible New York-sired 2-year-olds, has attracted a total of 29 entries with 13 fillies entered in the Fifth Avenue and an overflow field of 16 males entered in the Great White Way, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The $500,000 NYSSS Great White Way is slated as the closing race on Saturday’s lucrative 11-race program, while its sister race, the $500,000 NYSSS Fifth Avenue for eligible state-sired juvenile fillies, will go as Race 8. The stakes-laden card is headlined by the Grade 2, $500,000 Cigar Mile in Race 10 and also offers the Grade 3, $250,000 Elite Power [Race 5], as well as a pair of Grade 2, $250,000 stakes for 2-year-olds in the Demoiselle [Race 3], for fillies offering 10-5-3-2-1 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top-five finishers and the Remsen [Race 9], a 10-5-3-2-1 Kentucky Derby qualifier. First post on the card that attracted 106 total entries is 11:20 a.m. Eastern.

“Working in partnership with NYRA, we’re proud to see robust fields for each of the New York Stallion Stakes races on Saturday,” said Najja Thompson, Executive Director of New York Thoroughbred Breeders, Inc. “With the quality of both proven and incoming stallions standing in New York each year, the New York Stallion Stakes Series remains a key component of our program, offering important black-type opportunities for owners and breeders of registered New York stallions.”

Honest Mischief, who stands for a fee of $7,500 at Sequel Stallions and was New York’s leading freshman sire last year, boasts the most entrants across the two stakes with seven. The 9-year-old son of Into Mischief will be represented in the Fifth Avenue by Oh, Braverthanubelieve, Honest Reason, and Daniella Marie; while his Great White Way contenders include True Legend, Spirit of New York and the also-eligible Pure Mischief.

“It’s a real credit to our breeders and we thank them for the support,” said Carlos Manresa, Director of Operations for Sequel. “Overall, Honest Mischief has been wonderful for us and he’s continuing to deliver. He was the number one first crop-sire in New York last year and is currently the leading 2-year-old sire in New York. He’s really exceeded expectations. We’re excited for more of them to be getting to the track.”

Last year, progeny of Honest Mischief won both of the $500,000 NYSSS events with Stone Smuggler taking the Fifth Avenue and Sacrosanct capturing the Great White Way.