Mischevious Alex Runs Away With Swale
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Lauren King
Mischevious Alex wins the Swale Stakes at Gulfstream Park
Mischevious Alex gave his connections plenty to think about Feb. 1 with a seven-length victory in the $150,000 Swale Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park.
Trainer John Servis and co-owner Chuck Zacney originally pegged the 3-year-old son of Into Mischief as a shorter-distance specialist, but after Mischevious Alex ran away with the seven-furlong Swale under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., the temptation could come to stretch him out farther.
"Chuck and I will talk about that," Servis said Saturday. "Originally, we thought maybe a one-turn mile is his best distance. I kind of got the feeling Irad thought that also, but he's so classy and so push-button, that might carry him a little further.
"I really think, me personally, a one-turn mile is going to really hit him on the head. Is he a mile-and-a-quarter horse? I don't think so."
Racing for Zacney's Cash is King and for new partner LC Racing, Mischevious Alex made his sophomore debut after ending his juvenile campaign with a 9 3/4-length victory in the Nov. 5 Parx Juvenile Stakes at Parx Racing.
"I'm just glad it's over," Servis said. "It was a long time coming. He came into the race great. You're always a little concerned when you have that longer time off, but we came in with a racehorse. He's always been a push-button horse but very green. When we did decide to put the blinkers on him (before his previous race), that's when he started to mind his business."
Off at odds of 9-2 in an eight-horse field, Mischevious Alex brushed with 7-5 favorite Untitled at the start but recovered to contest the early pace inside Shivaree and Flash Pass through a :22.41 quarter. Moving comfortably heading into the far turn, the eventual winner covered a half in :45.02, continued to show the way into the homestretch through three-quarters in 1:09.72, drew clear while switching leads several times, and was geared down late.
Mischevious Alex finished in 1:22.83 on a fast track to win his third race in six starts. Shivaree held second, a neck ahead of Green Light Go, who turned in a disappointing effort as the 8-5 second choice. Untitled finished fourth and was never a factor.
"I got a perfect trip," Ortiz said. "He broke so sharp and just sat there and relaxed a little bit. He was on the pace and he waited for me to call on him, and he was great. He broke so sharp, I just went with the flow. I didn't want to rush him, and I didn't want to take him back, so I just left him where he was happy. He felt so good. He did everything right. He's got more left in the tank, I think."
Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm out of the winning Speightstown mare White Pants Night, Mischevious Alex was a $140,000 purchase by Zacney from Eisaman Equine's consignment to the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. Eisaman purchased him for $75,000 from Taylor Made Sales Agency's consignment to the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He is the second foal and the first graded winner out of White Pants Night, who produced an Outwork colt last year and was bred to Wicked Strong for 2020.