Mischevious Alex, Leinster formidable in pair of sprint stakes

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Racing fans who don’t mind the occasional bingo free space in their wagering endeavors will have the opportunity to leverage a couple of heavy favorites in Grade 3 sprint stakes Saturday at Gulfstream Park.

Mischevious Alex, a three-time stakes winner who earned a 103 Beyer Speed Figure making his first start in the care of trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. last month, surely will be an odds-on choice in the $100,000 Gulfstream Park Sprint, while Leinster, making his first start since finishing third as the favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint last fall, will take plenty of beating in the $100,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint.

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The co-features, for older horses, will occur some 2 1/2 hours apart on a 12-race Saturday card that starts at 12:10 p.m. Eastern. The five-furlong Gulfstream Turf Sprint goes as race 6 and therefore will be run prior to the 20-cent Rainbow 6 (races 7-12), which is expected to attract millions of dollars in new handle when subject to a mandatory pool disbursement.

The six-furlong Gulfstream Sprint (race 11) is the penultimate leg in the Rainbow 6, with post time set for 5:16.

Mostly sunny skies and a high of 82 are in the Saturday forecast.

Unlike in recent years, there will be no holiday card at Gulfstream this coming Monday, Presidents Day. The next major Gulfstream date is Feb. 27, when the Fountain of Youth will be one of nine graded stakes.

Gulfstream Park Sprint

Seven are entered, but three are cross-entered in the Pelican at Tampa Bay Downs the same afternoon. Ralph Nicks said he will scratch Shivaree in favor of Tampa, and Victor Barboza told Gulfstream officials he also intends to run Admiral Lynch at Tampa. Eddie Kenneally said he was inclined to go in the Gulfstream race with Edgemont Road.

Whoever stays home to give Mischevious Alex a try will have their work cut out for them. Sent to Joseph last fall following a very productive 3-year-old campaign with John Servis, the bay colt blew off doors when returning here in a Jan. 10 allowance, drawing off by 3 3/4 lengths when getting six furlongs in a quick 1:09.67.

“He had already shown he was a very good horse when he came to the barn,” Joseph said. “We were just hoping he’d run as well for us, and his first race back was about as good as you could ask.”

Leading jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. has a return call on Mischevious Alex, who has the April 3 Carter at Aqueduct penciled in as his next start. The 4-year-old son of the red-hot Into Mischief is listed at 6-5 on the morning line, but defections will help to make him considerably lower.

Gulfstream Turf Sprint

Leinster is the 3-5 program favorite in a field of seven making his 6-year-old debut for trainer Rusty Arnold. His Beyer Speed Figures tower over the opposition – nothing lower than a 94 in his last eight starts, starting with a career-high 109 in August 2019 and continuing through three more triple-digit figures, ending with a 101 in the Nov. 7 BC Turf Sprint.

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Arnold said Leinster might go next in the Al Quoz Sprint at Meydan.

“He’s freshened up well and he’s ready to go,” Arnold said. “I want to get him through this race and see how he does, but there’s a distinct possibility we’ll be headed to Dubai if he runs like we hope.”

Leinster, with Luis Saez riding, will break from post 6. The son of Majestic Warrior tends to do his best from just off the pace, which means he’ll probably be breathing down the neck of High Crime, a fresh Kentucky shipper, or Inter Miami, drawn just to his outside. Helping to round out the lineup are Shared Legacy, a half-brother to Shared Belief, and a second Arnold trainee in Borracho.

◗ The 10th race features the return of Structor, winner of the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Unbeaten in three starts at 2 and unraced at 3, the 4-year-old colt resurfaces with 11 works since late November at the Palm Meadows training center for trainer Chad Brown.

“He’s been training well,” Brown said. “It’s exciting to finally get him back to the races. This looks like a good starting point for him. Hopefully, he can have a complete campaign this year now that he’s healthy.”