Mitchell Road Returns to Winning Ways in My Charmer
Image:
Description:
Photo: Coglianese Photos/Lauren King
Mitchell Road wins the My Charmer Stakes at Gulfstream Park
Mitchell Road enjoyed a bit of class relief and used her natural speed to establish control early in the $100,000 My Charmer Stakes Dec. 14 at Gulfstream Park, factors that combined to guide her to the winner's circle.
The 4-year-old English Channel filly, a half sister to elevated Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) winner Country House, snapped a three-race losing streak dating to her wire-to-wire triumph in the May 18 Gallorette Stakes (G3T) at Pimlico Race Course. She was sent off as the 2-5 favorite in a field of 10 in her first start since an eighth-place finish in the Oct. 5 First Lady Stakes Presented by UK HealthCare (G1T) at Keeneland.
"I was fairly confident," said Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott. "She's been doing well, and with respect to all the other horses, with the races she's been running in, this maybe would be a little bit of class relief for her because she's coming off really tough races. She's run against the very best. It was the spot to get her back."
Mitchell Road and jockey Jose Ortiz shot straight to the lead and never relinquished Saturday, clicking through splits of :23.37, :46.57, and 1:10.18 before carrying on through seven-eighths in 1:21.86. Longshot Take These Chains made a move off the turn for home but was turned back by Mitchell Road, who finished a mile in 1:34.10 on turf rated firm.
"The trip was perfect," Ortiz said. "She has a lot speed and went to the lead. The main thing was to get her to relax. She relaxed very well. She was going really fast, but she has a lot of class, and she kept on going."
Mitchell Road returned $2.80 on a $2 win ticket. Take These Chains was 1 1/2 lengths back in second, followed by Munchkin Money, who finished a neck back in third.
Bred in Kentucky by the late J. V. Shields Jr. and campaigned by his widow, Mrs. J. V. Shields Jr., and his nephew Eugene "Guinness" McFadden, Mitchell Road improved her record to six wins and three seconds from 11 starts, with earnings of $421,470.
Mitchell Road is out of the War Chant mare Quake Lake, a half sister to graded stakes winner Breaking Lucky. Quake Lake died shortly after foaling Country House.
Mott said next-race plans are still pending for Mitchell Road.
"We'll see how she's doing," he said. "Last winter she tailed off a little on us and we had to give her a little time, and then she came back nicely in the spring. She does well on this racetrack. We'll probably try to run her back here."