Mischevious Alex ramps back up in Woody Stephens

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer John Servis hopes the public won’t have to wait until late Saturday afternoon to see a legitimate Kentucky Derby prospect at Belmont Park.

Though Mischevious Alex still has to prove his ability to get a distance of ground, his road to a potential start in the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby begins in Saturday’s Grade 1, $250,000 Woody Stephens at seven furlongs. With only a five-horse field, the Woody Stephens is carded as race 2 (12:25 p.m. Eastern) on the 12-race program.

With the race so early, Servis elected to ship Mischevious Alex here from Parx on Friday as opposed to Saturday morning. Mischevious Alex will be making his first start since he won the Grade 3 Gotham going a mile at Aqueduct on March 7. Servis was planning to run him in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial on April 7 to test him at 1 1/8 miles to see if he was worthy of pointing to the Derby.

Now, the plan is to run in the Woody Stephens and then the Haskell, at 1 1/8 miles at Monmouth Park on July 20.

Though Servis said Mischevious Alex is “probably 90 percent,” he is anxious to run him for the first time in 105 days.

“They only stay so good so long and he’s been so good since the first of the year,” Servis said. “I hate to miss out on it all. He’s going into this race great.”

Servis said the key to Mischevious Alex being able to go a distance of ground is his mind.

“You can turn him on and off so easy,” Servis said. “If you have to do that two or three times you can.”

Jockey Kendrick Carmouche may have to turn him off early on Saturday with No Parole and Echo Town in the field. No Parole is a fast Louisiana-bred who figures to be on the lead early, breaking from the rail under Luis Saez.

“He’s a horse that is extremely quick from the gate and he likes to use that speed to his advantage,” trainer Tom Amoss said. “Going a little farther in distance, that makes the pace a little lighter and that should play in his favor.”

Like No Parole, Echo Town has speed but must prove he can carry it seven furlongs. He is 3 for 5, all in races run at six furlongs. Echo Town breaks from post 4 under Ricardo Santana Jr.

Echo Town is trained by Steve Asmussen, as is Shoplifted, who cuts back to a one-turn race for the first time since he finished second in the Grade 1 Hopeful last summer. He will likely sit back and make one run under Jose Ortiz.

Meru won his first two starts last summer at Monmouth Park before finishing a well-beaten second to Independence Hall in the Grade 3 Nashua at Aqueduct. Most recently, he finished behind Echo Town in an allowance race.

Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Meru from post 2.