Appleby looks to Sunday stakes with Nations Pride, Mischief Magic

With seven stakes on tap for Sunday at Colonial Downs, two of the morning-line favorites are trained by Charlie Appleby. Both Godolphin homebreds, Nations Pride was made 9-5 in the Grade 1 Arlington Million and Mischief Magic was made 5-2 facing eleven foes in the 5 1/2-furlong, $150,000 Van Clief.

Appleby is no stranger to the Million, having brought Group 1 winner Tryster over for the 1 1/4-mile turf stakes in 2016 at Arlington Park. In his final race, the Group 1 winner finished eighth to Mondialiste.

“It was a good trip,” Appleby said. “(Tryster) was a character. He was a horse that gave us a bit of pleasure. We went there thinking we had the right horse. Unfortunately, it didn’t materialize that way. Thankfully we’re hopefully coming back with a more legitimate horse in Nations Pride.”

Boasting a resume that includes six stakes wins in five different countries, Nations Pride is set to make the third start of his 5-year-old campaign. With nine wins, each over a different course, the globetrotter has also proven himself over firm, yielding, and good courses.

“What he brings to the table now is a wealth of experience on these tracks,” Appleby said. “He’s shown versatility on conditions as well. He’s won on soft ground, he’s won on quick ground, he’s won left-handed, he’s won right-handed. From a race riding perspective, he’s a horse that’s led before, or he’s sat box seat, and he’s dropped off them, so the key part about (Nations Pride) is versatility.”

When Nations Pride scored in the 2023 Canadian International (G1), he stalked the leader and pulled away by open lengths. It was his sixth win at the Million distance. Last out the son of Teofilo settled near the back before rallying late, though he fell short of running down stablemate Measured Time in the Manhattan (G1). With likely front-runner Sugoi drawn to his inside and the forward-minded Talk of the Nation drawn to his outside, Appleby says Nations Pride’s tactics will be in the hands of his rider, William Buick.

“I’m always a believer that with a horse like Nations Pride, I will always leave it up to the jock,” Appleby said. “It’s one of those decisions that if you make a plan, you can guarantee the pace won’t be there that you’ve made the plan for. With him he’s one of those rides that the jock can hopefully work out as the gates open.”

Both stakes are scheduled to be run on the Secretariat turf course. Whereas Nations Pride’s versatility is celebrated by Appleby, there are questions about how much give in the ground Mischief Magic can handle.

“The only negative to him is the grounds conditions and how they are fairing,” Appleby said. “He is definitely a happier horse on a sound surface. If it is on the slow side, that would be a negative for him.”

Utilizing his signature late kick, Mischief Magic won the 2022 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, closing from the back of the pack in his first U.S. start. After a quiet 3-year-old campaign in England, the gelded son of Exceed and Excel returned to the limelight taking the Dubai Sprint in Meydan. Bet to favoritism but coming up short in both the Shakertown (G2) and Turf Sprint (G2), Mischief Magic most recently finished fifth to Cogburn in the Jaipur (G1).

“Trying to work out a puzzle like him would be as desperate as trying to work out a thousand-piece puzzle really,” Appleby said. "He’s one of those characters that it’s always a roll of the dice with what he’ll do.”

Mischief Magic was entered in last weekend’s Troy (G2) at Saratoga, which was canceled due to rains.

“We are encountering wet conditions there, so we haven't been able to get back on the turf to train,” Appleby said. “So he has just been going through his standard work on the main track.”

Appleby reported the highly regarded pair would be shipping to New Kent overnight Thursday and arrive in the Commonwealth Friday morning.

Nations Pride represents the potential third title in this event for Godolphin, having won in 2003 with Sulamani and 2022 with Santin. As those two were trained by Saeed bin Suroor and Brendan Walsh, respectively, this would be the first Million title for Appleby, who has an extraordinary 38 percent strike rate from 56 North American Grade 1 races over the last five years.