Kentucky-bred Mischevious Alex rolled to an eye-catching 5 ½-length victory in the $300,000 Carter Handicap (G1) at Aqueduct on April 3.
With Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard, Mischievous Alex broke well and raced in third position early, chasing pacesetter Chateau down the backstretch. Mischevious Alex cut into Chateau’s substantial lead as the field rounded the far turn and he collared that rival at the eighth pole before drawing away comfortably in deep stretch. He won the seven-furlong test in 1:23.97. It was the third consecutive win for the son of Into Mischief after he captured the Gulfstream Park Sprint Stakes (G3) in his previous outing and a Gulfstream allowance before that for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.
“I was a little concerned early in the race,” said Joseph. “He was a little far back and I know the track has been heavy and I didn’t know if he could make up that much ground. Obviously, he was giving Irad some feel, and he rode him with a ton of confidence.”
Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, Mischevious Alex increased his career bankroll to $614,730 for owners Cash is King LLC and LC Racing. Next up for the Kentucky-bred runner might be the Grade 1, $1 million Metropolitan at Belmont Park on the Belmont Stakes undercard.
“There’s a lot of options,” said Joseph. “Hopefully, he comes out of it good, and then we’ll make a game plan.”