Maximus Mischief Blitzes 4f: Video
 

Maximus Mischief Works

Chompin' at the bit down there in Florida, looks like he likes it down there. Looks like the trainer of this colt, Robert Reid is trying to teach this colt to switch and stay on the right lead coming down the stretch - doesn't look like its working - switchin' back and forth; same problem he had in the Remsen.

can't see this horse hitting the board in any of the triple crown races

wish we could see his most recent work from the 20th or whenever it was...

he looked like a flashy 'boom or bust' type coming into the Remsen w/out ever having run in a contested race.

- Instead we got a workman-like effort on a slow pace. The other chalk in that race never really fired...

He's definitely got talent, but for now his form is really dressed up.

From a breeding perspective, he's a Storm Cat top line which was 0-fer-whatever before Justify raked last year. Into Mischief and Harlan's Holiday down the line seemingly don't offer a distance formula. He is Raise A Native dam sire line. I'd prefer those flipped for TC races. Tail female family 23-b with Broom Flower, one of the Stanley Caris conduit mares potentially offers more stamina than meets the eye. Dosage points are paltry, while not something I'd toss a horse alone, is still worth noting.

I'll be looking to play against him. Just a matter of when.

hope they drop this horse to one turn races

He was an unhappy horse Saturday.
Looked nervous,got all worked up and washed out.
Something was bothering him.

I now believe this colt is a lot better than I originally felt. Not that my opinion means anything, but it is Kentucky Derby season now, isn't it?

'Maximus' was not overly impressive winning his first two starts at Parx. There was not a real racehorse behind him. The Remsen win was very good, but again, not a real toughie in the bunch. That win was a step-up as was his third at Gulfstream.

I personally would prefer if John Servis trained the horse rather than Butch Reid.

John Servis is (1) simply a better trainer and horseman than Reid; (2) Servis has prepared horses to win both national championship races and the Kentucky Derby!

Servis has the frame of mind and experience to handle a major Derby contender where second-guessing and paranoia reigns supreme; Butch Reid simply does not.

Most Derby-winning trainers not named Bob Baffert or D. Wayne Lukas are first-timers--John Servis included.

The points I made had nothing to do with Butch Reid being a first time Derby contender trainer.

My point is that Servis is a better trainer for the colt than Reid.

John's success on the national championship scene is proven and will better serve both the colt and the ownership.

But my point is that John Servis was in the exact same boat when he was campaigning Smarty Jones in 2003-2004.

In fact, his numbers in the years prior to Smarty Jones were very similar to Reid's in the past several years. Servis also, like Reid, had trained only a handful of graded stakes types up to that point in his career.

I suppose back then there were also people suggesting that the owners of Smarty Jones should take the colt away from Servis. If that transpired, would Servis ever have gotten the opportunity to rack up the credentials you now cite as grounds for moving Maximum Mischief to his barn?

Of course, a big part of Smarty Jones' appeal was his background story so fortunately for racing fans that sort of cold-blooded maneuvering didn't take place.

Servis did win a few graded races over the years prior to Smarty Jones; he won stakes in New York too.

Butch Reid never did train a graded stakes winner, as far as I recall. I know he won the BC Marathon race a few years back. No Grade 1s anyway. He may have won a few smaller races at Monmouth and Parx. Please understand, I am NOT knocking Butch. I just think Servis is a better trainer and better qualified to train a Derby contender.

No trainer as far as I know of tried to get under John Servis. I know early on, offers were made to buy Smarty Jones, but they were few and everyone knew that a sale would never happen, due to Roy Chapman's declining health. Smarty Jones kept that sick man alive, mark my words.

Jerry Bailey did call John personally from as early as February trying to get under Stewart Elliott. He called almost every week. Some of Bailey's calls were also very derogatory toward Elliott. I was there once when he called, and John later said Bailey will never, ever ride the colt, even if Stew got hurt and couldn't ride him.

I also do not think the owners will change trainers and give the horse to Servis. John worked for years as an assistant trainer to Mark Reid, Butch's brother.

Fair enough but Reid did train Poseiden's Warrior to a win in the Grade 1 Vanderbilt at Saratoga. I think Servis had only Grade 1 wins from Jostle (who eventually was transferred elsewhere) in the Alabama and the CCA Oaks prior to Smarty Jones.

I don't know which of the two is ultimately a better trainer, but Servis' pre-Smarty credentials don't overwhelm those of Reid, so the basis of why Servis is better lies elsewhere I suppose.

Nevertheless, if I were to critique Servis' record with classic prospects he seems to have a problem holding them together. Smarty Jones, for all his heroics, was toast by August of his 3yo year. Jostle, a strong 2yo filly, lost her form during the spring and missed the KY Oaks, but rebounded in the summer before sputtering out completely as a 4yo. Cathryn Sophia won the KY Oaks basically on a whim after Songbird pulled out, and then did precious little afterwards before calling it quits in October of her 3yo year. Round Pound progressed nicely through the spring, skipped the KY Oaks, but still hit a brick wall in the summer before going on to greater glory for another trainer at 4. Rockport Harbor, his best prospect after Smarty Jones, had a record eerily reminiscent of Maximum Mischief at 2, but was a resounding flop on the Derby trail at 3.

Thanks, I was wondering about this but could find absolutely zero about whether they were brothers or not. They look basically like twins, but suprisingly, none of the puff pieces on either of them mentions the other brother.

It would have been awkward for sure if a switch took place given Servis' history with Mark Reid.

Lol, I guess you cant blame him for trying, and its not the only time and with higher profile riders than Stewart Elliot.

For Reid's better horses, including a G1 win in New York, check the "Top Horses" tab:

http://www.equibase.com/profiles/Res...ype=T&eID=1538

Of course, one cannot blame Bailey for trying.

What people forgot at the time was that Elliott was leading rider at 4-5 different tracks multiple times over his career. He was far from a mud sack, for sure.