Alex Lieblong’s Duke of Mischief
turned in a bullet half-mile breeze under exercise rider Nick Esler over the
main track at Saratoga Sunday morning, his final serious move before a planned
start in next Saturday’s Whitney. The son of Graeme Hall was clocked in 46.88,
fastest of 62 at the distance.
“I thought he went excellent,” said
trainer David Fawkes. “Really good. He got over the track well. Nick said it’s
probably a good thing we breezed him over the track because he said he was
still feeling his way around there a little bit. Everything’s on go right now.
He looked like he did it comfortably. He’s coming into this really good.”
Duke of Mischief was most recently
fourth, beaten just two lengths, in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster on June 18 at
Churchill Downs following an impressive victory in the Grade 3 Charles Town
Classic on April 15.
Fawkes added that Apriority,
gearing up for a start in the Grade 1, six-furlong, Alfred G. Vanderbilt, would
breeze Monday.
Sunday morning at Calder Race
Course, Big Drama, reigning Eclipse champion male sprinter, registered
his first official workout since winning the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector on January
15 at Gulfstream Park, covering three furlongs in 36.60.
“He worked excellently,” said
Fawkes. “I got him out in 49 and he was well in hand. Everything was good. The
[Grade 1, September 3] Forego at Saratoga would be a possibility.”
The 2010 Breeders’ Cup Sprint winner
received a 120 Beyer Speed Figure for his four-length win in the Mr.
Prospector, six points higher than the second-fastest figure this year. He
finished second in last year’s Forego, beaten three-quarters of a length, by
Here Comes Ben.