Gulfstream roundup: Leinster bids for Dubai; Mischevious Alex scores

Leinster came through for the bettors who made him their 2-5 favorite in the stretch, where the Rusty Arnold-trainee added the Grade 3, $100,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint to his growing list of graded stakes victories.

The Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint, a five-furlong dash for older horses, and the $100,000 Gulfstream Park Sprint (G3), a six-furlong race for 4-year-olds and up, co-headlined a 12-race program that also featured a mandatory payout of the 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool.

Leinster broke alertly from the starting gate to contest the early pace between horses before being eased back by jockey Luis Saez, who was content to track pacesetter High Crime and Inter Miami during a 21.03-second first quarter of a mile. Saez eased Leinster to the outside on the turn into the homestretch and the veteran turf sprinter responded with a powerful stretch drive to catch High Crime by a neck.

“That was the trip that we expected. I know we had some speed inside, but he’s that kind of horse that you can’t rush him early. You have to let him get his feet,” Saez said. “When he came to the stretch, he knows what to do. He was always responding and it was easy for him. When we came to the stretch, I knew we were going to be OK. I know (High Crime) was a pretty tough horse, but Leinster he came from the layoff, too, so we didn’t want to push him early. He did his job.”

Making his first start since finishing third in the Nov. 7 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Keeneland, Leinster ran five furlongs on a "good" turf course in 55.29 seconds.

“I liked the way he did it. They were going head and head; they were going so fast, (Saez) took him back and gave him a breather,” said Arnold, who trains Leinster for Amy Dunne, Brenda Miley and Westrock Stables LLC. “It looked for a second he might not get there, but he that gear.”

High Crime, the 3-1 second choice ridden by Julien Leparoux, held second 1½ lengths ahead of Harrysontheloose and jockey Junior Alvarado.

Leinster won back-to-back Grade 2 stakes, the Shakertown and the Woodford, over a fast Keeneland course before finishing just a length behind victorious Glass Slippers over a "good" Keeneland turf in the Breeders’ Cup.

“Since he started running sprints on the grass, he’s missed the board once, and that was in the (2019) Breeders’ Cup (Turf Sprint). He didn’t get a trip and maybe he was over the top,” Arnold said.

Arnold said that the 6-year-old son of Majestic Warrior would likely run next in the $1 million Al Quoz (G1) on the March 28 Dubai World Cup undercard or the April 3 Shakertown (G2) at Keeneland.

Mischevious Alex asserts class in Gulfstream Park Sprint

Cash is King LLC and LC Racing LLC’s Mischevious Alex asserted his class to score a comfortable 3½-length victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint (G3).       

Mischevious Alex, who was sent to post as the 2-5 favorite in a field reduced to four by scratches, recorded his second straight victory of the 2020-2021 Championship Meet with the April 3 Carter (G1) at Aqueduct or the Golden Shaheen (G1) on the March 28 Dubai World Cup undercard being targeted for his next start.

“The Carter is the primary goal. The Dubai sprint is in our minds, but we’re going to talk it over and decide,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “(Cash is King LLC’s) Chuck (Zacney) has a game plan to try to win a Grade 1 this year.”

Mischievous Alex, who won a Jan. 10 optional claiming allowance impressively while making his first start for Joseph off a five-month layoff, broke alertly to contest the early pace outside pacesetter Cajun Brother and inside Frosted Grace along the backstretch. Cajun Brother ran the first quarter of a mile in 22.45 with Mischevious Alex traveling comfortably to his outside under Irad Ortiz Jr. The odds-on favorite moved to a narrow lead on the turn into the homestretch with Frosted Grace looming boldly to his outside. Asked for some run at the top of the stretch, the 4-year-old son of Into Mischief offered a powerful kick to win with authority.

“It worked out well. He got the job done,” Joseph said. “He broke well, and I was happy how he broke. For a brief moment, where he was in a little tight, Irad did a great job of maintaining his spot. After that, he stayed six furlongs strongly. At six furlongs, you don’t have to worry about him stopping. He keeps getting stronger towards the end.”

Mischievous Alex, who captured the 2020 Swale (G3) at Gulfstream, ran six furlongs in 1:09.55.

“I got a good trip. The horse put me in a good position early. I think (Cajun Brother) had the speed from the break so I just let him go ahead. I sat there and was patient and when it was time to let him go, I just let him go and he responded really well,” Ortiz said. “He’s doing great.”

Frosted Grace finished second under Luis Saez, a half-length ahead of Cajun Brother and jockey Miguel Vasquez.

Breeders' Cup hero Structor finishes 4th in return
Structor came into the 10th race of the day as the 7-5 favorite in a one-mile, allowance-optional-claiming turf race for ages 4-and-up. The 2019 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winner failed to impress, finishing in a dead heat for fourth.

Structor, returning for his first race since November 2019 after to a series of setbacks, broke in third place and stayed there for much of the race. Flying Scotsman, a 15-1 long shot trained by Jack Sisterson, broke out in front and stayed there for the entire trip, wiring the field with a winning time of 1:32.83.

Trained by Chad Brown, Structor sat in third through the far turn, but was unable to hold on to the position and slid into a dead heat for fourth with Lamartine, while Ever Dangerous held on for second and Grand Journey finished third.