Florida-bred colt is main threat to Quality Road in Grade 1 race
Trainer David Fawkes thinks so highly of Duke of Mischief that he’s nominated the Florida-bred colt for the $1 million Godolphin Mile (G2) on Dubai World Cup Day in March. The horse can go a long way toward proving he’s up to the challenge by knocking off the highly regarded Quality Road in today’s $500,000 Donn Handicap (G1) at Gulfstream Park.
Duke of Mischief is the 5-1 second choice on the morning line for the nine-furlong race, which drew a field of 10 4-year-olds and up. The 7-5 favorite is Quality Road, who has three graded stakes win at the Hallandale Beach oval – last year’s Florida Derby (G1) and Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) and last month’s Hal’s Hope Stakes (G3).
Duke of Mischief enters the race off his biggest victory, a come-from-behind, neck-length win over Kiss the Kid in the one-mile Fort Lauderdale Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream on Jan. 10. That race was moved from the turf to the main track. Fawkes considered running him back in last week’s $300,000 Sunshine Millions Turf at Gulfstream but scratched him from the race to point to the Donn.
“There was one horse with speed,” Fawkes said, referring to Florida-bred Jet Propulsion, who won the race in front-running fashion, “and it’s hard to catch a horse like that. It was just too soon, and I didn’t want to run him back that fast. It was a lot to ask of the horse, and I thought my chances were better (in the Donn).”
Duke of Mischief was bred by Marilyn McMaster, who still owns him in a partnership that includes Fawkes. The horse has won four of his 10 starts for $373,925, making him the most successful horse ever sired by Winding Oaks Farm stallion Graeme Hall. Prior to the Fort Lauderdale, Duke of Mischief’s biggest win had come in last year’s $250,000 Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows.
Duke of Mischief will have usual rider Eibar Coa aboard when he breaks from the No. 3 post, just inside of Quality Road, with regular jockey John Velazquez astride. Fawkes, always tight-lipped before a big race, said an upset over Quality Road would be one highlight of what he hopes will be a breakout 4-year-old season for Duke of Mischief.
“I hope so,” Fawkes said. “It looks like he’s going to be a better horse as an older horse. His color is good, and he’s eating good.”
Quality Road and Duke of Mischief both had 103 Beyer Speed Figures in their most recent outings, marking the fifth straight race in which Quality Road eclipsed the 100 mark. Quality Road won his only start at nine furlongs in the Florida Derby, while Duke of Mischief is 0-for-3 when going that far, including a fifth-place finish behind Rachel Alexandra in the Haskell Invitational (G1) at Monmouth Park.
Quality Road has finished in the money in all eight of his career starts for trainer Todd Pletcher, winning five times and earning $1.03 million.
The field also includes Florida-breds Dry Martini (12-1), bred by Marty and Carol Hershe at Turtle Pond Farm in Williston, and Delightful Kiss (8-1), bred at Hobeau Farm in Reddick. Delightful Kiss is a 6-year-old, gelded son of Kissin Kris, and Dry Martini is a 7-year-old, gelded son of Slew Gin Fizz.
Dry Martini won the Suburban Handicap (G2) at Belmont Park last year and has nine wins in 30 starts for $1.21 million in earnings. He most recently was fourth in the Fort Lauderdale.
Delightful Kiss, who won the Hal’s Hope last year, has seven wins in 26 starts for $1.01 million. He most recently was third in a $100,000 optional claimer at Gulfstream last month.
Rounding out the field are Kiss the Kid (6-1), the runner-up in the Fort Lauderdale; You and I Forever (12-1), the runner-up in the Hal’s Hope; Past the Point (10-1), second in the Mr. Prospector Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream last month; Helsinki (20-1), fifth in the Hal’s Hope; Mambo Meister (6-1), bred and partially owned by Ocala’s J.R. Cavanaugh, and the third-place finisher in the Fort Lauderdale; and Dubai Gold (30-1), the winner of a $62,500 claimer at today’s distance at Gulfstream last month.
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Photo by Jim Lisa
