Make Mischief surges late, triumphs in Maddie May

Make Mischief became a stakes winner Saturday when she got through along the rail late to win the $100,000 Maddie May Stakes at Aqueduct.

She won by a neck over pacesetter Brattle House. It was another 2 1/4 lengths back in third to Vacay.

The Maddie May was a one-turn-mile race for 3-year-old fillies bred in New York.

Make Mischief ($5.30) rode the rail Saturday, settling just off Brattle House as that one took the field through fractions of 24.19 for the opening quarter, 48.50 for the half-mile, and 1:14.31 for six furlongs. In the stretch, Make Mischief closed in on the leader and got through coming to the wire. The winner covered the distance on a muddy, harrowed track in 1:40.55.

:: Click to learn about our DRF's Free Past Performance program.

“It was a little bit nerve-wracking in the stretch,” jockey Eric Cancel, who won his third race on the card, told Aqueduct publicity. “I had the hole at the beginning of the stretch, but then it started closing in pretty tight. I just had to keep on guiding her and work my way to victory. I tried to ride her comfortably. From the quarter pole to the wire, I did my job and I’m glad she helped me do it.”

Chris Englehart trains Make Mischief for Gary Barber.

Make Mischief is a daughter of Into Mischief. She has now won 3 of 7 starts and has earned $207,750. Make Mischief has registered her three wins in New York-bred races, and came into the Maddie May off an allowance victory last month at Aqueduct. Last year, Make Mischief ran second in a pair of graded stakes at Saratoga, the Grade 2 Adirondack and the Grade 3 Schuylerville.