Mission accomplished in Miami Mile

Last updated: 4/30/11 5:16 PM

Successful Mission (red cap)
just held the favorite to take the Miami Mile
(Jim Lisa Photos)

Live Oak Plantation’s SUCCESSFUL MISSION (Successful Appeal), unplaced in two
prior graded attempts heading into Saturday’s $125,000
Miami Mile H. (G3) at
Calder, earned his biggest win to date after a ground-saving trip under Elvis
Trujillo. Within striking distance throughout of long-time leader Little Nick
(Tiger Ridge), the 3-1 Successful Mission eased off the hedge turning for home,
wore that rival down, and held off a belated bid from 6-5 favorite Voodoo Swinge
(Unbridled’s Song) to secure the laurels in a time of 1:35 over the firm turf.
The mutuels were $8.80, $4.40 and $3.20.

Little Nick, whose lead varied from a length to 2 1/2 lengths through splits
of :24, :48 2/5 and 1:11 4/5, was chased down the backside by Successful Mission
and Jackson Bend (Hear No Evil), who alternated in second and third. Jackson
Bend, who had stumbled at the start, gave way at the top of the stretch, and it
was Successful Mission who got first run to wear down the speed. Voodoo Swinge,
who was forced to swing widest of all attempting to rally from sixth, fell just
short. Little Nick held third, a half-length behind the favorite.

The order of finish was completed by Feels All Right (Fr) (Danehill Dancer),
Black Scorpion (Scorpion), Mambo Meister (King Cugat) and Jackson Bend, while
Dream Maestro (Concerto) was scratched. The multiple Grade 3-winning Mambo
Meister, making his first start since December, was rank in the early stages,
raced wide into the stretch and lacked a sufficient late kick at 7-2.

A winner in his first two grass appearances as a juvenile in 2008, including
the I Take It All S. at Belmont, Successful Mission was winless in four starts
at three and won three of four allowance attempts at four last season. He also
finished seventh of 10 in the Connaught Cup (Can-G3) at Woodbine. Switched from
trainer Bill Mott to Eddie Plesa Jr. over the winter, he kicked off
his five-year-old campaign defeating a stakes-caliber allowance field
by 1 1/2 lengths, but weakened to fifth in the Appleton S. (G3) last time. With
this initial graded triumph, his career mark improved to 16-7-0-2, $287,643.

“He’s a nice addition to the barn,” Plesa said. He’ll go with my division at
Monmouth for the summer. There really isn’t anything on the schedule for
awhile.”

Bred in Kentucky by Oakbrook Farm in Kentucky, Successful Mission was a
$360,000 Keeneland September yearling. Produced by the Grade 3-placed Ava
Knowsthecode (Cryptoclearance), Successful Mission is a half-brother to Grade 2
winner Keyed Entry (Honour and Glory), stakes winner Alex’s Allure (Sky
Classic), and recent Jerome S. (G2) and Bay Shore S. (G3) third-placer Justin
Phillip (First Samurai). Ava Knowsthecode has juvenile and yearling sons by
Bernardini, the juvenile being named Algorithms.