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Given some recent racetrack developments, we’re going to switch up which son of Into Mischief that Modernism will visit in ‘24 — she’s now slated to head to Airdrie Stud for a date with the second-year stallion Highly Motivated.
As we noted in our initial write-up, the very fast G3W Forest Grove, by a Storm Cat-line stallion, does show up on Modernism’s page under her third dam, plus her own dam is half to a couple of winers by Storm Cat and another of his sons. Meanwhile, the Into Mischief/Tapit cross has accounted for the likes of 2023 Kentucky Oaks-G1 winner Pretty Mischievous, in addition to other ‘23 graded winners Hoosier Philly and Rocket Can, plus ‘23 black-type winner and G2-placed Interpolate.
But what makes us even more interested in Highly Motivated for Modernism right now is that his dam looks like she might be a real modern Blue Hen mare. In addition to Highly Motivated, her just-turned 4YO daughter Surge Capacity (by an otherwise-undistinguished stallion in Flintshire) was a G1 winner over older mares last month, and her just-turned 3YO daughter Ways and Means (by Practical Joke, a son of Into Mischief) might have been the most talented 2YO filly of the crop. And as a conduit to these potentially important genes, we think Highly Motivated makes a great choice for Modernism.
Highly Motivated also brings his own qualifications to this match with Modernism: he had excellent 2YO form (he set a NTR at Keeneland for 6-1/2 furlongs and earned the second-highest Beyer Speed Figure of that year’s 2YO crop) and was 2nd in the Blue Grass-G2 at 3YO to Essential Quality. Then as a 4YO he set another track record — this time at 1-1/8 miles — when winning the Monmouth Cup-G3. He is also a taller, leggier type than Modernism, which might make for a slightly taller and scopier foal, which we wouldn’t mind.
So hopefully we can take advantage of an active family and get Modernism a successful runner early in her broodmare career!