Mission of Joy

Mission of Joy was unplaced in her career debut in September 2022 sprinting on the synthetic main track at Woodbine, but she showed significant improvement with a switch to the grass and extra distance in her second lifetime start, rolling to a four-length maiden win on Dec. 3, 2022, going a mile on the turf at Tampa Bay Downs.

Mission of Joy opened her 3-year-old season with a two-length win at the same distance at Tampa Bay Downs on Jan. 18, 2023. Entered next in her stakes debut in the Grade 3, $200,000 Florida Oaks at Tampa, Mission of Joy settled into a nice stalking position in the 1 1/16-mile turf race and rallied wide into the stretch and out-finished Alpha Bella with a powerful burst for the victory.

Following a third-place finish in the Grade 2 Edgewood Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 5, Mission of Joy got back into the winner's circle in her next start which came in the Grade 3 $225,000 Regret Stakes going 1 1/8 miles on the turf at Churchill Downs on June 3. Sent off as the 3-5 favorite on the tote board in a field of six 3-year-old fillies, Mission of Joy pressed the pace, took over the lead in the stretch, and extended to a 1 1/2-length victory in a time of 1:49.05.

Trained by Graham Motion, Mission of Joy was produced by the sire Kitten's Joy out of te winning Smart Strike mare Smart Mission, a half-sister to two-time Canadian champion Irish Mission and two other stakes winners.