Mischevious Alex Draws Away to Win Carter
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Joe Labozzetta
Mischevious Alex wins the Carter Handicap at Aqueduct Racetrack
In the course of his last six races, Mischevious Alex has done everything right—with the exception of a pair of starts in grade 1 stakes.
That's when back-to-back wins were sandwiched between a fourth in the Woody Stephens Stakes Presented by Claiborne Farm (G1) and sixth in the H. Allen Jerkens Stakes Presented by Runhappy (G1), raising some questions if the company was a bit too formidable in those top-level affairs.
Perhaps that was the case at 3, but in 2021 Mischevious Alex returned to the scene of a previous graded stakes win and erased any doubts over his ability to thrive in grade 1s.
Finishing well in the stretch, Cash Is King and L C Racing's son of Into Mischief took charge in the final furlong and drew off to a convincing 5 1/2-length victory in the $291,000 Carter Handicap (G1) April 3 at Aqueduct Racetrack.
"He deserves a grade 1 victory," owner Chuck Zacney of Cash Is King said after his 4-year-old completed the seven furlongs in 1:23.97. "This is what we've been pointing for, so we're thrilled to death."
The win was the third in a row for Mischevious Alex, all in 2021 since Saffie Joseph Jr. took over the training duties following the bay colt's summer 2020 losses in grade 1s. He was a 3 1/4-length winner of the Gulfstream Park Sprint (G3) in his last start.
"It all started at the end of last year when we gave him a break at Dr. Barry Eisaman's place, and then Saffie Joseph took it from there and here we are in the winner's circle after a grade 1 stakes," Zacney said.
Shortly after the race, Zacney button-holed winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., asking his thoughts on Mischevious Alex handling an additional furlong. A fairly positive reply from the three-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey pretty much spelled out what's next for Into Mischief's latest grade 1 winner.
"We'll probably have him at six or seven furlongs for most of the year, but we may stretch him out to a mile depending on how the field looks," said Zacney, mindful of Mischevious Alex's victory in the mile Gotham Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct in March 2020. "We can pick up a lot of purse money and graded wins in that area, but we might be able to get that extra furlong June 5. We'll see."
June 5, incidentally, is when the $1 million Metropolitan Handicap (G1) will be contested on the Belmont Stakes (G1) undercard.
Running in a handicap and toting co-highweight of 123 pounds did not pose much of a problem for Mischevious Alex in the Carter, which was run June 6 last year at Belmont Park due to COVID-19 cancellations. Only five horses competed.
Chateau set the pace Saturday through fractions of :23.09 and :45.89 but tired in the stretch as Mischevious Alex ($3.70) caught him at the eighth pole and drew clear for his decisive victory as the 4-5 favorite. A winner of seven of 12 starts, he has earned $614,730.
Red Oak Stable's and Madaket Stables' Mind Control , who also toted 123 pounds and was the 5-2 second choice, rallied from fourth to take second. The Stay Thirsty 5-year-old trained by Gregg Sacco was a length ahead of Live Oak Plantation's Souper Stonehenge , a Speightstown gelding trained by Mark Casse.
Mischevious Alex was purchased by Eisaman Equine for $75,000 from Taylor Made Sales Agency's consignment to the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He is the second of three foals to race by the Speightstown mare White Pants Night and her lone winner. Her most recent offspring is a yearling colt by Wicked Strong .