HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Mrs. J. V. Shields Jr. and E. J. M. McFadden Jr.’s Mitchell Road established an early lead she never relinquished and powered to a popular front-running victory in Saturday’s $100,000 My Charmer at Gulfstream Park.
The 34th running of the one-mile My Charmer for fillies and mares 3 and up was among five stakes, four graded, worth $600,000 in purses on an 11-race program anchored by the $200,000 Fort Lauderdale (G2), also on grass, and $100,000 Harlan’s Holiday (G3).
It was the sixth career win from 11 starts and third in five tries at Gulfstream for Mitchell Road ($2.80) as she snapped a four race-losing streak dating back to her gate-to-wire triumph in the Gallorette (G3) May 18 at Pimlico Race Course.
Since then, the 4-year-old daughter of turf champion English Channel had remained in graded-stakes company, going off as the 2-5 favorite in her first race following an eighth-place finish in the First Lady (G1) Oct. 5 at Keeneland.
Jockey Jose Ortiz was intent on the lead breaking from the rail in a field of 10 and sent Mitchell Road out of the gate, setting fractions of :23.37, :46.57 and 1:10.18 pressed by 20-1 choice Take These Chains and trailed by 50-1 long shots Picara and Steelin Magnolias. Mitchell Road began to separate from her rivals once straightened for home and crossed the wire in 1:34.10 over a firm turf course.
Take These Chains held second over late-running Munchkin Money, with Na Pali Spirit fourth and Steelin Magnolias fifth.
$100,000 My Charmer Quotes
Winning Trainer Bill Mott (Mitchell Road): “I was fairly confident. She’s been doing well and, with respect to all the other horses, with the races she’s been running in this maybe would be a little bit of class relief for her because she’s coming off really tough races. She’s run against the very best. It was the spot to get her back.”
“We’ll see how she’s doing. Last winter she tailed off a little on us and we had to give her a little time and then she came back nicely in the spring. She does well on this racetrack. We’ll probably try to run her back here.”
Winning Jockey Jose Ortiz (Mitchell Road): “The trip was perfect. She has a lot speed and went to the lead. The main thing was to get her to relax. She relaxed very well. She was going really fast, but she has a lot of class, and she kept on going.”
Via Gulfstream Park Press Release
