Practical Joke Too Good in H. Allen Jerkens

Someone forgot to tell Practical Joke that this year's 3-year-old dirt males are supposed to be an inconsistent bunch.

The son of Into Mischief  may be overshadowed in the talk for divisional honors by those with classic-type victories but Practical Joke bolstered his already enviable résumé Aug. 26 when he ran down Takaful in the $500,000 H. Allen Jerkens Stakes (G1)  to earn a 1 1/4-length victory and remain unbeaten around one turn.

A multiple grade 1 winner during his 2-year-old season, Practical Joke has had his class nearly carry him to victories beyond one mile. His  most recent tough beat came last month in the 1 1/8-mile betfair.com Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) where he finished third, just a half length behind winner Girvin. In the times the Chad Brown trainee has shortened up, however, he has been arguably the most reliable performer in the sophomore ranks.

The seven-furlong H. Allen Jerkens was the latest example of such. Sent off as the 2-1 favorite in the nine-horse field, Practical Joke was the beneficiary of astute handling from jockey Joel Rosario, who had already celebrated a grade 1 win earlier on the card aboard Forever Unbridled in the Personal Ensign Stakes. With Takaful cutting fractions of :22.36 and :45.05 for a half-mile and Phi Beta  Express shadowing him, Practical Joke saved ground in seventh, then fifth, tracking just behind Ann Arbor Eddie.

As Takaful clung to his advantage coming off the far turn, Practical Joke cut the corner and then angled out in the lane to uncork his best run.

"To cut back all the way to seven-eighths after a tough race in the Haskell, I'm so proud of this horse," Brown said. "He's so versatile. It was his third race in seven weeks. He's our iron horse.

"I was a little concerned they weren't going quite fast enough, and the horse I anticipated going with him didn't, so it worried me a bit. Once he came off the turn and had the momentum, he looked like the winner to me."

Practical Joke hit the wire in 1:21.96 to collect his third career grade 1 win and fifth triumph overall from 10 career starts. The bay colt snapped a four-race losing skid when he captured the July 8 Dwyer Stakes (G3) going a mile at Belmont Park and is also 3-for-3 at Saratoga having broken his maiden there last August and won the Hopeful Stakes (G1) at the Spa last September.

"His best races are around one turn and he always tries hard," Rosario said. "He's a very good horse. He showed that today. I was just watching for traffic and waiting for the right time to make my move forward. Around the turn he just started picking up horses like the great horses he is."

Takaful held for second with American Anthem third. Tale of Silence and Coal Front rounded out the top five.

"We were second best, no excuse, we ran very, very well," said Kiaran McLaughlin, trainer of Takaful.

Owned by Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence, Practical Joke paid $6, $3.60, and $2.50 across the board and improved his earnings to $1,670,800. Brown added that the Las Vegas Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) would likely be targeted for his charge, citing both his Dwyer win and his triumph over the eight-furlong distance in the 2016 Champagne Stakes (G1).

"Looking at the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, it's a tricky race because it's around two turns," Brown said. "He's undefeated on one turn, but the mile distance seems perfect for him, so if I had to guess right now, that's where we'll end up."

Practical Joke was bred in Kentucky by Whispering Oaks and was purchased by Aquinnah Ventures for $240,000 out of the 2015 Keeneland September yearling sale. He is out of the Distorted Humor  mare Halo Humor.