Elusive Mischief evidently was 3/5 in race 8 at Fair Grounds for a reason. And that reason was more than the mere fact her only previous start had produced a second-place finish last summer at Saratoga.

Elusive Mischief, racing in a turf-sprint maiden, tracked the pace outside and in the clear under Florent Geroux and had swallowed up the leaders at the top of the stretch. Twice she jumped tracks on the course, but that didn't matter a whit. The margin of victory was -- vast.

The portable rail is set way out in the course, which produces slow fractional and final times. For the record, Elusive Mischief got 'about' 5 1/2 furlongs in 1:05.49 off a 47.97 half-mile split. So she had a great trip against suspect competition. But even under favorable circumstances, Elusive Mischief, a daughter of Into Mischief and the Unbridled's Song mare Claire's Song, who is trained by Mark Casse for owner John Oxley, was very much an eye-catching winner to keep an eye on as winter turns to spring.