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Mischevious Alex, Drain The Clock Drill For Belmont Stakes Racing Festival Engagements

Trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. breezed Mischevious Alex and Drain the Clock Sunday at Florida's Gulfstream Park in preparation for starts at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival this coming week at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Cash is King and LC Racing's Mischevious Alex worked a half-mile in company in 48.72 seconds on the fast main track in his final breeze for Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap.

Slam Dunk Racing, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables and Michael Nentwig's Drain the Clock also worked a half-mile in company in 48.68.

Joseph said the breeze was easier by design for both after working the two talented colts head-and-head on May 23 through five furlongs in a bullet 1:00.81 on the Gulfstream main track.

“We didn't want either of them to overdo anything so we paired them with lesser workmates today,” said Joseph. “The last time they worked together they went head and head the whole way.”

Joseph said Mischevious Alex is coming into the Met Mile, which offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, in top form following his impressive score in the G1 Carter Handicap on April 3 at the Big A that garnered a career-best 109 Beyer.

“They caught him in 48 and change and he got the last quarter in 23 and 1, so it went well,” said Joseph. “He's in good form. We're hoping he can run a race as good as last time. If he does, I think we're going over there with a good chance.”

Drain the Clock, who has won 5-of-7 starts, is targeting the G1, $400,000 Woody Stephens presented by Nassau Country Industrial Development Agency, a seven-furlong sprint for sophomores.

Joseph said the Maclean's Music chestnut, who matched a career-best 86 Beyer last out winning the Grade 3 Bay Shore on April 3 at the Big A, is in good order.

“He's plenty fit,” said Joseph. “He looked good working and he is coming into the race in good form at a distance that he's been successful. He'll have to run his career best, but we feel like he's sitting on his career best.”

Joseph will also be represented at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival by Sweet Bye and Bye in Thursday's G3, $200,000 Intercontinental, a seven-furlong Widener turf sprint for older fillies and mares; and by Queen Nekia in the G1, $500,000 Ogden Phipps at 1 1/16-miles on Big Sandy for older fillies and mares which offers a Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” berth to the Distaff.

Joseph said the colts will fly to New York on Wednesday, while the mares will begin their journey by van later today.

The Florida-based conditioner, who has stalls at Belmont for the first time, has three wins and three thirds from nine starts at the Belmont spring/summer meet. He praised assistant trainer Sabine Langvad for the strong early showing.

“Our horses have been in good form and running good. Even the ones that didn't win have performed credibly,” said Joseph, Jr. “Sabine works hard and has a lot of passion for what she does.”

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$504 Payout In Saturday’s Cross Country Pick 5 Between Belmont Park, Churchill Downs

The Cross Country Pick 5 on Saturday, featuring graded stakes action from Belmont and Churchill Downs, tallied a total pool of $144,746, paying out $504.25 for selecting all five winners for the 50-cent wager.

Gam's Mission kicked off the sequence – and stakes competition – with a three-quarter length victory in the Grade 3, $150,000 Regret for 3-year-old fillies in Churchill's Race 8. Jockey Adam Beschizza tracked Gam's Mission in fifth position in the 1 1/8-mile turf contest before a strong finish bested the favorite Spanish Loveaffair. Trainer Cherie DeVaux earned her first graded stakes win for the effort. Gam's Mission completed the course in 1:51.02 and returned $14.20 on a $2 win wager.

Action shifted to Belmont for the second leg, which saw Doubly Blessed defeat favorite Mystic Night by 1 1/2 lengths to win a 1 1/16-mile allowance optional claiming contest in Race 8. Doubly Blessed, trained by Mike Maker and ridden by Luis Saez, recorded a final time of 1:42.53 paying $8 after going off at 3-1.

Churchill, located in Louisville, Kentucky, continued with its strong Saturday card, as Fulsome won the third leg with a 3 3/4-length definitive score in the Grade 3, $150,000 Matt Winn for 3-year-olds going 1 1/16 miles on the main track in Race 9. The first favorite to win in Saturday's Cross Country Pick 5 rallied from seventh at the half-mile mark, hitting the wire in 1:42.88 under jockey Florent Geroux. The Brad Cox trainee paid $5.40.

Another favorite won Belmont's featured race, as Sainthood, whose previous start was an 11th-place effort in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, thrived in the Grade 2, $200,000 Pennine Ridge that was moved off the turf in Race 9.

Heavy rains turned the Pennine Ridge into a one-turn 1 1/8-mile main track contest over a sloppy and sealed track, with Sainthood fending off The Reds in the stretch to win by one length against a pared-down five-horse field.

Sainthood, trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher and ridden by Joel Rosario, paid $3.80 as the 4-5 favorite with a final time of 1:50.57.

Bango posted a half-length win in the $150,000 Aristides for 4-year-olds and up sprinting six furlongs on Churchill's main track in Race 10 to close the sequence. Bango, trained by Gregory Foley, notched a final time of 1:09.65, paying $10.60 after going off at 4-1.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on track, on ADW platforms, and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool.

The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.

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$122,783 Carryover In Sunday’s Pick 6 At Belmont Park

Sunday's Pick 6 will be boosted by a $122,783 carryover, as the multi-race wager went unsolved on Saturday at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

The $1 Pick 6, implemented at the current 48-day Belmont spring/summer meet, returned $867 to bettors who selected 5-of-6 winners correctly.

Saturday's off-the-turf sequence kicked off in Race 5 when New York-bred Summer Brew [No. 11] drew in off the main track only list to best open company going six furlongs under Manny Franco for trainer Jorge Abreu. The daughter of Summer Front returned $8.10 for a $2 win wager.

Kathleen Babcock and David Brown's Wow Brown [No. 3] returned a generous $59 when capturing his fifth career victory in Race 6. The 5-year-old Big Brown gelding made his first start of the year a winning one after having not raced since December when fifth at the same level at Aqueduct.

In Race 7, trainer Jonathan Thomas sent out Augustin Stable homebred Evoking [No. 3] for a successful career debut in a six-furlong off-the-turf maiden special weight. The daughter of Union Rags returned $11.40 for a 4 ½-length victory.

Three Diamonds Farm's Doubly Blessed [No. 7] defeated a salty field in the fourth leg of the sequence, when earning his fifth career victory. Trained by Mike Maker, the son of Empire Maker returned $8 with his clear cut 1 ½ length victory over the sloppy track.

After finishing 11th in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, Sainthood [No. 5] earned his first graded stakes score in the Grade 2 Pennine Ridge for trainer Todd Pletcher. The son of Mshawish raced in tandem with Shawdyshawdyshawdy down the backstretch before engaging in a stretch duel with The Reds, besting his foe by one length. Sainthood returned $3.80 as the only winning favorite in the sequence.

In the finale, jockey Jose Ortiz piloted Kerik [No. 8] to her second career win in the Saturday finale. The daughter of Commissioner trained by Orlando Noda made her first start outside of Gulfstream Park a winning one while returning $32.80.

Featuring a $1 bet minimum and 15 percent takeout, the Pick 6 wager requires bettors to select the first-place finisher of six designated races on the card. A total of 75 percent of the full pool, minus takeout, will be distributed to bettors who select the first-place finisher of all six races. A consolation payout of 25 percent of the net pool will be distributed to tickets selecting 5-of-6 winners.

In the event there are no tickets with six winners, there will be a carryover of 75 percent of the net pool into the next day of the meet with the remaining 25 percent of the net pool distributed as a consolation payout to tickets selecting the first-place finisher in the greatest number of races on the card. On carryover days, the Pick 6 is offered with a 24 percent takeout.

The $1 Pick 6 replaced the Empire 6, a jackpot style wager featuring a $0.20 bet minimum first offered in August 2019 at Saratoga Race Course.

Sunday's Pick 6 kicks off in Race 4 at 2:31 p.m. Eastern and includes the $100,000 Paradise Creek in Race 8. First post on the nine-race card is 1 p.m. Eastern.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the spring/summer meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Sainthood Game to Get Mshawish First Stakes Win in Pennine Ridge

Sainthood, 11th last time in the GI Kentucky Derby, became the first black-type and graded stakes winner for his sire (by Medaglia d'Oro) with a resilient victory in this off-turf prep for the GI Belmont Derby Invitational S.

Beaten a head dirt sprinting at Gulfstream Jan. 9, the dark bay scored by a nose around two turns on the Fair Grounds main track Feb. 13. He earned a spot into the Derby starting gate with a runner-up finish in the GIII Jeff Ruby Steaks over Turfway Tapeta Mar. 27, and appeared to more or less run his race in the Derby at 43-1.

Favored among the five who stayed in here over put-up Federico Tesio S. winner The Reds, Sainthood broke on top but was well held by Joel Rosario and eventually conceded pacesetting duties to Shawdyshawdyshawdy. The Reds ranged up with a menacing move after a :48.56 half, prompting Rosario to give Sainthood his cue. The Reds poked a head in front and seemed to have all the momentum, but Sainthood boxed on gamely and pulled away late.

“I think he's a versatile colt, much like his sire Mshawish, who we trained and won graded stakes on dirt and turf for us,” winning trainer Todd Pletcher said of his charge. “This horse has run well on dirt and synthetic and slop today. I thought he actually ran a solid race in the Derby. He didn't disgrace himself by any means for a colt as lightly raced as he was. His two works here on the turf I thought were pretty impressive. We came into today hoping to get him on the turf, but it's also great to have one as versatile as he is who can run on just about anything.”

The 2021 Hall of Fame inductee continued, “When he broke his maiden, he was really green and didn't appreciate being alone. He's better with a target. One thing I told Joel [Rosario] in the paddock was that I wasn't sure who the target was going to be. That was my biggest concern. I told Joel to just be aware that he was better with a target and if he was fortunate enough to make the lead, he might idle a bit. Part of it was, when he made the lead he got a little bit lost and [The Reds] put a head in front of him and he fought back.”

As for whether or not Sainthood would make his delayed turf debut in the July 10 Belmont Derby, Pletcher said, “”We got a good prep for it if we decide to go that way. It's good to have a horse with this many options. We'll talk to the team and come up with a plan, but that will be towards the top of the list.”

Saturday, Belmont Park
PENNINE RIDGE S.-GIII*, $194,000, Belmont, 5-29, 3yo, 1 1/8m (off turf), 1:50.57, sy.
1–SAINTHOOD, 118, c, 3, by Mshawish
            1st Dam: Lemon Hero (SP, $129,819), by Lemon Drop Kid
            2nd Dam: Bright Gold, by Hold for Gold
            3rd Dam: Bright 'n Early, by Northern Jove
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($100,000
Ylg '19 KEEJAN; $90,000 RNA Ylg '19 KEESEP; $62,000 Ylg '19
OBSOCT). O-WinStar Farm LLC and CHC INC.; B-Edward Taylor
& Springland Farm (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Joel Rosario.
$110,000. Lifetime Record: 5-2-2-0, $201,900. *First black-
type and graded stakes winner for sire (by Medaglia d'Oro).
Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–The Reds, 120, c, 3, Tonalist–Ash Zee, by Exchange Rate.
($14,000 RNA Ylg '19 KEEJAN; $115,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP;
$130,000 2yo '20 OBSAPR). O-Flanagan Racing; B-R. S. Evans
(KY); T-John C. Kimmel. $40,000.
3–Shawdyshawdyshawdy, 118, c, 3, Summer Front–Shea
Darby, by Street Sense. O-Lawrence & Jennifer Goichman;
B-Larry Goichman (KY); T-Jorge R. Abreu. $24,000.
Margins: 1, 5, 7. Odds: 0.90, 1.95, 14.40.
Also Ran: Safe Conduct, Minuteman (Ger). Scratched: Hard Love, Public Sector (GB), Shaftesbury, Step Dancer. *Automatically downgraded when taken off the turf. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:

Globe-trotting Mshawish was a stakes winner and group-placed in France and then Group 2 winner on turf in Dubai for Mikel Delzangles before joining the Pletcher barn for the second half of 2014. He took the 2015 GI Gulfstream Park Turf H. and was third in that year's G1 Dubai World Cup before annexing the GI Donn H. on the Gulfstream dirt the following season. Mshawish is finishing up his third year at Taylor Made Stallions.

The winner's dam won twice on the dirt but was stakes-placed sprinting on the sod. The daughter of MSW Bright Gold and half to SW Satin Gold (English Channel) sold for $15,000 at the 2019 Keeneland January sale carrying a Midnight Storm colt now named Onemoreandthecheck.

Sainthood becomes the 73rd stakes winner (24th group or graded) out of a mare by Lemon Drop Kid. He is bred like GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint upsetter Bar of Gold (Medaglia d'Oro).

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