Mischevious Alex tries to rebound in Jerkens

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Mischevious Alex finished fourth to No Parole in the Grade 1 Woody Stephens at Belmont Park on June 20. It took more than two weeks, but trainer John Servis may have found a reason for the poor performance.

A few days after Mischevious Alex had his first breeze back, Servis’s blacksmith cut out two bruises from the frogs, or the bottom of the horse’s front feet.

:: Play Saratoga with DRF! Visit our Saratoga shop for DRF PPs, Picks and Clocker Reports:

Since then, Mischevious Alex has been training much better and Servis is hoping for a return to form in Saturday’s Grade 1, $300,000 H. Allen Jerkens Stakes at Saratoga.

The Jerkens drew a well-matched field of 11. Mischevious Alex drew post 5.

“I have to throw his last race out,” Servis said. “Obviously he didn’t run his race with the foot issue that he had. He’s going to have to step it up. That No Parole is a very nice horse and there some other nice horses in there.”

:: DRF's Saratoga headquarters – Stakes schedule, previews, recaps, past performances, and more

Prior to the Woody Stephens, Mischevious Alex had won three consecutive races, including the Grade 3 Swale at Gulfstream by seven lengths and the Grade 3 Gotham at Aqueduct by two. Irad Ortiz Jr. rode Mischevious Alex in the Swale, and Kendrick Carmouche rode him in the Gotham and Woody Stephens. Ortiz will be back aboard on Saturday.

“Kendrick didn’t do anything wrong,” Servis said. “If you got a shot to get Irad you got to get him. By no means am I putting any blame on Kendrick.”

The Jerkens field, from the rail out, is Hopeful Treasure, Eight Rings, Sonneman, Echo Town, Mischevious Alex, No Parole, Shoplifted, Three Technique, Liam’s Pride, Captain Bombastic, and Tap It to Win.