Injury Forces Maximus Mischief off Triple Crown Trail

The father-son dream that Chuck and Alex Zacney shared of reaching the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) together with Maximus Mischief has been dashed.

The promising winner of last year's Remsen Stakes (G2) has been taken off the Triple Crown trail because of a soft-tissue injury to his right front leg that surfaced after a troubling workout Feb. 24 at Gulfstream Park. 

"I'm very disappointed. I was hoping for a Derby horse and to share the experience with my son for really the first time," said Chuck. "It has been really, really precious."

Alex, now 19, was the namesake for Afleet Alex , the Preakness (G1) and Belmont (G1) stakes winner in 2005 that was the first horse his father owned. The Zacney's Cash is King co-owns Maximus Mischief, a winner of three of four career starts, with Glenn Bennett's LC Racing.

Jockey Jose Ortiz reported something was amiss after he worked the Into Mischief  colt four furlongs in :49.02 Feb. 24 in what was supposed to be their final tuneup for the $400,000 Xpressbet.com Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) March 2 at Gulfstream. The horse did not gallop out at the end of the drill.

Veteran trainer Robert "Butch" Reid said soon after the work that Maximus Mischief would be pointed toward a different prep race. Tests later revealed damage that removed all of the spring classics from consideration. 

"This is a very special horse. They only come along once in a lifetime maybe," said Reid, who uses Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pa., as his primary base. "It's very difficult. It's a tough sport. Fortunately, I have good owners who are understanding."

Plans call for Maximus Mischief to be shipped from Gulfstream to Eisaman Equine near Ocala, Fla., where he will undergo further evaluation and be given ample time to recuperate. The farm is co-owned by Barry and Shari Eisaman.

Although Chuck Zacney said there is "always a chance" the injury could be career-threatening, Reid offered a much more optimistic picture. He mentioned the Sept. 21 Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Parx as a possible comeback target.

But Reid acknowledged, "I'm not going to be able to put a timetable on much of anything. Everything is kind of on hold right now. We'll take it one step at a time and certainly give him all of the time he needs. That's the top priority at this point."

Reid, based on his experience, is braced for an extensive layoff.

"It can take a long time," he said. "They are all individuals. But we expect a full recovery."

Alex selected Maximus Mischief from Cary Frommer's consignment to the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale in May. It was the first sale he ever attended. Chuck, following his son's intuition, purchased the juvenile for $340,000. They were soon rewarded with a pair of overpowering victories at Parx and a 2 1/4-length decision in the Dec. 1 Remsen at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Maximus Mischief suffered his lone defeat when he wrested the lead in the stretch of the Feb. 2 Fasig-Tipton Holy Bull Stakes (G2) only to weaken and finish behind longshots Harvey Wallbanger and Everfast.

All is hardly lost for the Zacney's. They are partners with D.J. Stable on Jaywalk, winner of the Tito's Handmade Vodka Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) Nov. 2 at Churchill Downs and the champion 2-year-old filly of 2018. The Cross Traffic  filly is poised to make her 3-year-old debut for trainer John Servis in the $200,000 Davona Dale Stakes (G2) Saturday at Gulfstream. She ranks fifth on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard with 30 points.