Across the Board: Maximus Mischief needs a stiffer test

The Remsen frequently identifies one or two prospects who could be just as good as those runners previously cited.

In this year’s renewal of the 1 1/8-mile race, which had a decent field of eight, betting favorite Maximus Mischief led most of the nine furlongs and completed the distance in 1:51.34 while remaining undefeated after winning his first two starts at trainer Butch Reid's Parx Racing base.

This was Maximus Mischief’s first try beyond seven furlongs, and it doesn't appear distance will hold him back into next year. Still, the winner raced on or near relatively moderate fractional splits, so we will need to see him compete against faster competition to really judge his class.

On the same Saturday card at Aqueduct, there was another terrific race, the Grade 1 Cigar Mile, a stakes that annually provides clues looking ahead to next season's handicap horses.

Frankly, I thought favored Mendelssohn was not quite up to the level of competition he was being asked to face. Specifically, Mendelssohn had not won in five starts since trainer Aidan O’Brien shipped him to America after his win in the Group 2 UAE Derby in Dubai. In fact, Mendelssohn was badly outrun in the 2018 Kentucky Derby and was only able to finish a distant third at 3-2 odds in the Dwyer Stakes two months later, that race also around one turn. Moreover, Mendelssohn tired to finish fifth in his most recent start, the Breeders' Cup Classic.

My positive view of Patternrecognition was reinforced by the 102 Beyer he earned winning the Grade 2 Kelso Handicap at one mile and around one turn at Belmont Park in September. Given that, I was not surprised when Patternrecognition used his natural speed to win Saturday’s Cigar Mile. I was only surprised that he was not the betting favorite.

Added Note: Beyond the two important races at Aqueduct on Saturday and a handful of stakes at Gulfstream Park, Tampa Bay Downs, Parx and Woodbine, there was one other Saturday event that deserves mention: The Grade 1 Hollywood Derby at Del Mar. Many of the horses who competed in this $300,000 turf race had previously run reasonably well in graded turf stakes in Southern California, along with five such horses shipping in from the east.

My next Across the Board column, which will be published here on Friday,  will include my analysis of a Saturday race along with a preferred wagering strategy.

Steve Davidowitz has written many books on handicapping, including the classic, "Betting Thoroughbreds." His Across the Board columns appear regularly at Horse Racing Nation. Click here to read past editions.