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We recently helped our friends at Wasabi acquire several young broodmare prospects from the world-renowned Godolphin breeding program, and Frame of Mind is one of those — she’ll visit the exciting first-year sire Highly Motivated at Airdrie Stud in 2023.
A $240,000 weanling purchase by noted bloodstock agent Mike Ryan, who called the colt a “stone runner” and a “must have”, Highly Motivated broke his maiden for trainer Chad Brown as a 2YO at Belmont over eventual G1 Florida Derby winner Known Agenda, then scored impressively in the Nyquist Stakes on the Breeders’ Cup undercard, setting a new Keeneland track record for 6-1/2 furlongs and earning a 96 Beyer Speed Figure (the second highest for a 2YO that season behind only Jackie’s Warrior). Freshened for a Triple Crown campaign, Highly Motivated was 3rd in the G3 Gotham, then ran dual Eclipse Champion Essential Quality to a neck when 2nd in the G2 Blue Grass while well-clear of the rest of the field. Off the board in the Derby, he was off the rest of the year and returned at 4YO to take a one mile allowance at Belmont, then set a new track record of 1:46.2 for 1-1/8 miles at Monmouth in the G3 Monmouth Cup, prior to a close 2nd in the G3 Iselin (giving 6lbs to the winner) in his career finale.
Chad Brown called him “the best colt in our barn at 2 and 3”, and he had the figures to prove it. Highly Motivated is also a big, scopey, strapping son of Into Mischief and it’s easy to see why Mike Ryan was so high on him as a foal. Out of a SW daughter of the G1W Warrior’s Reward, Highly Motivated is bred on one of the strongest crosses for Into Mischief.
In Frame of Mind, he’ll be bred to a mare who was unraced herself, but who is sired by one of the most proven, consistent stallions in the Blue Grass in Hard Spun — a cross which has produced 2022 G2W Gerrymander and the multiple stakes-winning Kiss the Girl, plus 3 additional black-type horses from just 28 runners. Yet to earn black-type is the seven-figure yearling turned TDN Rising Star Extra Anejo, who was a brief winter book favorite for the Kentucky Derby off a smashing debut win for the Winchell/Asmussen powerhouse prior to a minor setback. He is another by Into Mischief (or one of his sons) out of a Hard Spun mare, and one that we think suggests this cross is destined for an improvement over its current “C” rating on TrueNicks.
Frame of Mind’s own broodmare sire is Elusive Quality, a son of Gone West, and Gone West-line mares when mated with Into Mischief and his sons have produced G1 Kentucky Derby winner Authentic, other G1Ws Mia Mischief and Mischevious Alex, G2Ws By My Standards, Phantom Currency, Engage, etc. So there is plenty to recommend this cross on pedigree — and we also think it noteworthy that Godolphin chose to send Frame of Mind’s dam Lady Lavery to Into Mischief, and the product of that mating is a 2YO colt of 2023 that will hopefully give Frame of Mind’s page an additional boost.
Physically, Frame of Mind has enough leg and length to her to complement the very strong and scopey Highly Motivated, and we are very excited to see the foal that they produce!