Mischief River forces way into Juvenile Turf with impressive work

When Mischief River worked on turf for the first time at Del Mar on a recent Sunday morning, trainer James Glenn Jr. saw enough to change race plans for early September.

Instead of a start in Sunday’s Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on dirt, Mischief River will run in the Grade 3 Del Mar Juvenile Turf at a mile on the same day. A half-mile turf workout in 49.20 seconds clinched the plan.

“He seemed pretty level and his gallop-out was really strong,” Glenn said. “Once he passed the wire, he didn’t want to pull up.

“I don’t know if he loved it, but I don’t think he disliked it.”

Mischief River, owned by Bow River Ranch, is part of a full field of 14, with two additional runners on the also-eligible list, in the $100,000 Juvenile Turf, the ninth race on an 11-race program that begins at 1:30 p.m. Pacific.

Sunday is the closing day of the Del Mar summer meeting. Los Alamitos begins a two-week meeting on Friday.

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Mischief River, who will be ridden by Los Alamitos-based Cesar Ortega, is part of a field that includes the filly An Chorr Dubh, a maiden race winner in Ireland in July. An Chorr Dubh is entered in Saturday’s Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf, but is more likely to start on Sunday, trainer Mark Glatt said in a text message on Friday.

The Juvenile Turf will be longest race for Mischief River, who was a well-beaten second to Getaway Car in the Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes at six furlongs at Del Mar on Aug. 11. Mischief River was racing near the front early in the Best Pal.

Getaway Car is part of the Del Mar Futurity field.

Glenn expects Mischief River to be close to the lead in the Juvenile Turf.

“We want to be forwardly placed,” Glenn said. “I’m not too concerned about him getting the mile.”

Show of Force, trained by Todd Fincher, may set the pace in the Juvenile Turf after leading throughout a maiden race at a mile on turf from an inside post at Del Mar on July 27.

A quick pace may work in favor of runners such as Artislas, the winner of a maiden race at five furlongs on turf on Aug. 2, and Ivan the Great, who closed from seventh of nine to win a maiden race at a mile on turf on Aug. 18.

Artislas, who drew the inside post in Sunday’s race, rallied from fifth of eight to win on Aug. 2 by 1 1/4 lengths under jockey Reylu Gutierrez, who has the mount on Sunday.

Gutierrez has conveyed confidence that Artislas can be a factor on Sunday.

“The jock seems to think he’ll handle the distance,” trainer Jeff Mullins said.

Ivan the Great, one of three runners in the Juvenile Turf trained by Doug O’Neill, won his first start on grass on Aug. 18. Ivan the Great was a well-beaten third in the Bashford Manor Stakes on a muddy track at Churchill Downs in June in his stakes debut.

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