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Englehart duo headline $100K Bouwerie

by Ryan Martin

Trainer Jeremiah Englehart sends out stakes-winner Critical Value and maiden winner Risky Mischief off long layoffs in Sunday's 43rd running of the $100,000 Bouwerie for New York-bred 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs over the Belmont Park main track.

Both sophomores will be making their seasonal bow in the event and arrive off unplaced results against graded stakes company. Englehart believes that both Critical Value and Risky Mischief will be able to tackle open company when given the opportunity.

"I think both of these fillies are capable of open company," Englehart said.

Ten Strike Racing's Critical Value arrives at the event off a six-and-a-half month hiatus, previously finishing fourth in the Grade 2 Demoiselle on December 7 at Aqueduct Racetrack. The bay daughter of Bodemeister tracked in second off a slow pace set by eventual winner Lake Avenue, maintained her position down the stretch and was passed up by runners in the final furlong to finish 4 ¾ lengths back to the winner.

Critical Value has one stakes victory on her resume, when she took the Maid of the Mist on October 19 at Belmont Park two starts back. That followed a maiden victory at second asking where she defeated next-out winners Myawaya an Saratoga Beauty at Saratoga. 

"I figured that she would be a one-turn mile or one-turn mile and a sixteenth type of filly," Englehart said. "Maybe her last race was a little far. She's doing well and training well at Belmont. That and Saratoga both seem to be her surfaces of choice."

A homebred, Critical Value is out of the Forestry broodmare See the Forest, whose dam was New York-bred champion and multiple Grade 1-winner Critical Eye.

Critical Value will break from post 1 under Junior Alvarado, who won the 2012 Bouwerie aboard Beautiful But Blue.

Jeff Drown's Risky Mischief will make her first start since a well-beaten sixth to Perfect Alibi in the Grade 1 Spinaway on September 1 at Saratoga. The Into Mischief bay filly was never in doubt in her career debut at The Spa, where she was hustled out of the gate by jockey Jose Ortiz, set the pace, received her cue at the top of the stretch and was geared down to a 7 ½ length victory over a fast and sealed main track.

"She was a little green in her second start," Englehart said. "Since then she's gotten smarter and trained well."

Bred in New York by Sanford Bacon, Risky Mischief was purchased for $350,000 from the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Sale in August 2018. She is out of the six-time stakes winning Limehouse broodmare Risky Rachel and comes from the same family as New York-bred champion Say Florida Sandy.

Jockey Jose Ortiz will attempt his third Bouwerie triumph when guiding Risky Mischief from post 4.

Looking to add a second stakes victory to her ledger is Big Q for owners Bob Petersons Stables and Dutchess Views Farms and trainer Gary Gullo.

The Big Brown bay filly has not raced since a distant second in the Franklin Square on January 18 at Aqueduct where she finished six lengths to A Freud of Mama. After winning on debut by a half-length at Saratoga, she notched a five-length victory in the Key Cents on November 16 at Aqueduct.

Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez will guide Big Q from post 6.

Also seeking a second stakes victory is Tee-N-Jay Farm's Naked Avenger, who scored a 16-1 upset in the Joe A. Gimma on September 18 at Belmont Park. Trained by Tim Hills, the Congrats bay filly was unplaced against open company in her two starts this season.

Jockey Luis Saez has guided Naked Avenger in all five of her career starts and will return to the irons from post 3.

Completing the field are five-time winner Ilchester Cheetah [post 2, Jose Lezcano] and stakes-placed Courageous Girl [post 5, Dylan Davis].

Slated as Race 8 on Sunday's nine-race card, which offers a first post of 1:15 p.m. Eastern, the Bouwerie will feature on America's Day at the Races, produced by NYRA in partnership with FOX Sports, and airing live on Fox Sports and MSG+. Free Equibase-provided past performances are available for races that are part of the America's Day at the Races broadcast and can be accessed at https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule.

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