Duke of Mischief in fine form will look to break the shackles in the Whitney Handicap after his fourth place finish in the Stephen Foster
After winning the $1 million Grade 3 Charles Town Classic, Duke of Mischief was lured to Saratoga from his home base at Calder to show his mettle once again in the Grade 1, $750,000 Whitney to be held on 6 August, 2011.
Trainer David Fawkes did not come out in the open regarding the status of his 5-year-old chestnut horse until recently, when he decided that he will run his horse in the Whitney Handicap.
The son of Graeme Hall out of My Lady Amelia by Real Courage, Duke of Mischief is recently coming off a fourth place finish in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs dirt course on 18 June, 2011.
Jockey J Bravo did the honours at Churchill Downs, where the pair held off the pace and loomed at the rear waiting for their cue.
J Bravo missed the trick as he drove the colt prematurely entering the stretch, but with the likes of Apart, Mission Impazible and Pool Play on the field, they took advantage of the mistake and he was caught close to home.
David Fawkes also pointed out the premature surge form the pair, but he added that the team had to run Duke of Mischief with the status and the kind of money offered in the race, and specially the way Duke of Mischief has been running lately.
Charles Town Classic win for Duke of Mischief was a long awaited one because his last win came back in 2010 in the Grade 3 Iselin Handicap at Monmouth Park dirt on 21 September 2010.
Under jockey E Coa, Duke of Mischief headed the field of six on a distance of 1 mile and 1 furlong fast. Ran a good race and never looked like in any trouble of losing the lead, eventually hitting the wire defeating Redding Colliery by 2 ¼ lengths.
Since then he had five races in between his last win and his recent win in the Grade 3 Charles Classic town and couldn’t manage a win, although he finished on the cards twice out of five races.
Once at his home base Calder race course in the Carl G Rose Classic Handicap under E Coa on 13 November 201o, where he finished second four and a half lengths behind the winner Birdrun.
Next finish on the card came at the Gulfstream Park in the Sunshine Millions Classic on 29 January, 2011.
E Coa his usual ride guided the colt to a second place finish on the dirt course on a field of 8 other horses.
Breaking on well and suddenly got into the lead, towing the field but favoured Tackleberry pushed the horse too much and eventually snatched the lead to finish 2 ¼ lengths ahead of Duke of Mischief.
Recent regular ride Joe Bravo will handle Duke of Mischief in the Whitney Handicap, and both will work on 30 July together.
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