Everso Mischievous bests elders, takes Forty Niner in graded stakes debut

Everso Mischievous, the only 3-year-old in a field of seven, made a successful foray into graded stakes company Saturday, overtaking the pace-setting Swiftsure in midstretch and holding off a pair of Chad Brown-runners to win the Grade 2, $300,000 Forty Niner Stakes by a half-length at Aqueduct.

Dr Ardito, under Manny Franco, rallied six wide in the stretch to get second by a nose over stablemate Accretive, the even-money favorite who broke last and had a difficult trip.

Film Star finished fourth, followed by Swiftsure, Business Model, and Double Crown. Synthesis scratched.

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The win was the fourth from six starts for Everso Mischievous, a son of Into Mischief owned by Qatar Racing and trained by Brad Cox. It’s the colt’s second straight stakes win having taken the Harrods Creek for 3-year-olds at Churchill Downs by 3 1/4 lengths on Sept. 23.

“He’s a 3-year-old having to step up and run against older horses, obviously in stakes, it’s a big ask and he really responded well,” trainer Brad Cox said by phone from Kentucky. “I thought the jockey [Cristian Torres], who had never ridden at Aqueduct, gave him a good trip and had him in great position.”

Everso Mischievous stalked from second the pace-setting Swiftsure through a quarter in 23.29 seconds and a half-mile in 45.89 and six furlongs in 1:09.96

Torres had to work to get Everso Mischievous by Swiftsure at the eighth pole. Once he did, Torres gave mostly a vigorous hand ride to the wire to keep Dr Ardito and Accretive at bay.

Everso Mischievous covered the mile in 1:35.32 over a fast main track and returned $7.20 as the second choice.

“The trip worked out perfect,” said Torres, adding that when Kendrick Carmouche put Swiftsure on the lead, “I sat two-wide the whole race - that’s where he runs comfortable. When we were turning for home, I asked my horse and he took off again.”

Everso Mischievous is now 3 for 3 since Cox added blinkers to his equipment.

“He’s still somewhat lightly raced, still figuring it out, I do believe the blinkers helped,” Cox said. “I thought given the distance and everything he stayed on pretty well. I thought we were close to a hot pace.”

The Forty Niner, formerly run as the Kelso, is the local prep for the Grade 2 Cigar Mile to be run at Aqueduct on Dec. 2. Cox said that race, or potentially the Grade 1 Malibu for 3-year-olds at Santa Anita on Dec. 26 for Everso Mischievous.

Accretive had a somewhat difficult trip after breaking slow and was outfinished by his stablemate Dr Ardito late. Trainer Chad Brown said that both could come back in the Cigar Mile.

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