Maximus Mischief 'ahead of the curve' in Holy Bull

Saturday’s Grade 2, $350,000 Holy Bull will once again prove to be a pivotal stop on the Kentucky Derby 2019 trail as trainer Robert “Butch” Reid Jr. saddles unbeaten Maximus Mischief in the 1 1/16-mile Gulfstream Park feature for 3-year-olds.

While others in the field will be stretching out around two turns for the first time in the Holy Bull, Maximus Mischief will actually be cutting back in distance for his 2019 debut.

“He’s already been a mile and an eighth, which I think is a pretty good advantage. It puts us a little bit ahead of the curve with the other 3-year-olds around,” Reid said. “We have an opportunity to run him a mile and a sixteenth, a distance we know he can handle, and the timing was just perfect for us.”

Maximus Mischief, who romped to commanding victories at sprint distances at Parx in his first two starts, successfully stretched out around two turns in his most recent start, scoring a 2 1/4-length triumph in the 1 1/8-mile Remsen Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct Dec. 1.

Owned by Chuck Zacney’s Cash is King LLC and Glenn Bennett’s LC Racing, Maximus Mischief was purchased for $340,000 at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-year-olds-in-training sale. The Kentucky-bred colt paid immediate dividends with a dazzlingly 8 3/4-length triumph in his Sept. 29 debut and a six-length victory in a seven-furlong first-level allowance Oct. 20. His two Parx showings earned him a trip to Aqueduct for his stakes debut in the Remsen, in which he set the pace and drew off in the stretch.

“It’s really great. The owners, Chuck Zacney and Glenn Bennett, stepped up at the sales and gave me an opportunity like this and I’m really appreciative of that,” Reid said. “We’re looking forward to the Holy Bull. We’ll have to see what the competition looks like and go from there, but no excuses for him right now. He’s doing very well.”

Maximus Mischief is scheduled to face nine rivals in the Holy Bull on Saturday’s 12-race program that will also feature the $150,000 Swale (G3) and $150,000 Forward Gal (G3).

“He’s a handful of horse. He’s a big, strong colt but he’s never about being nervous or unsure. He’s got a lot of confidence in himself so he doesn’t worry about all the extraneous stuff. We do that more than he does,” Reid said. “It’s just a matter of making sure he gets enough exercise to keep him mentally where we want him.”

The undefeated colt has worked three time since arriving from Parx to Gulfstream Park, including a sharp 58.02-second five-furlong breeze, the fastest of 57 clockings at the distance. Jan. 19.

“He’s been training very well here. He has a big, strong gallop every day and his [first] two breezes here were maybe a little faster than we wanted him to go, but he’s really handled it well,” said Reid, whose trainee produced a 50.06-second half-mile maintenance breeze Monday. “He’s held his weight well and he’s eating everything in sight, so we couldn’t be any happier with him.”

Jose Ortiz will ride Maximus Mischief for the first time Saturday.