Chrome Ghost Springs $25 Upset in Duke of Mischief Handicap

Sunday’s Estimated $125,000 Rainbow 6 Pool Includes 3 Turf Races

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – J J Brevan Stable’s 6-year-old homebred gelding Chrome Ghost, back on dirt after falling short in his turf debut last month, inherited the lead from fading front-runner To the Eastside at the top of the stretch and held on for a half-length victory in the $65,000 Duke of Mischief overnight handicap.

The Duke of Mischief for 3-year-olds and up going a one-turn mile on the main track preceded the $100,000 Hollywood Beach, a five-furlong turf dash for 2-year-olds, won by Riyadh Way.

Ridden by Samy Camacho for trainer Gerald Bennett, Chrome Ghost ($25) completed a one-turn mile in 1:37.67 over a fast main track for his eighth career victory and second in a stakes, following the Loggerhead overnight handicap April 25 at Bennett’s home base of Tampa Bay Downs.

“Sam wanted to take him up to the front and I said, ‘Just sit with him. There’s plenty of speed in there,’ Bennett said. “I told him to just take the shortest way home. He did a great job.”

To the Eastside, gate-to-wire winner of the seven-furlong Benny the Bull over a sloppy and sealed main track Aug. 29, broke alertly from his rail post and led the way through splits of 23.44 and 45.62 seconds, pressed to his outside by 8-5 favorite John Hancock. Camacho settled Chrome Ghost ahead of the second flight in third.

Winner of the 2025 Sam F. Davis in his second career start, John Hancock began to drop out of contention on the far turn and Camacho tipped Chrome Ghost out to engage To the Eastside. Showing signs of testing early fractions, To the Eastside gave up the lead to Chrome Ghost entering the stretch, and Camacho had plenty left to hold off a challenge from eight-time winner Pure Class.

El Principito, Chrome Ghost’s Bennett-trained stablemate that went off at 30-1, got up for third, followed by Awesome Train, Lightning Tones, To the Eastside, Icelander, Fiveeyesonskystars and John Hancock.

“I told Sam to sit way back because with all this rain, we kind of lost a work. I was worried about not being able to breeze him again, but we just did the best we can do,” Bennett said. “He’s a nice horse. He ran his race.”

Chrome Ghost, by multiple Grade 1 winner and 2017 Pegasus World Cup (G1) runner-up Shaman Ghost, pushed his career bankroll over $300,000 with the win. Prior to the Loggerhead, Chrome Ghost ran second to Damon’s Mound in the March 29 NYRABets Sprint.

“Bill Mott’s horse, the millionaire, beat him up in Tampa by a [half-length],” Bennett said. “He runs his race when he gets the trip. In this game, you’ve got to get lucky.”

Duke of Mischief was bred in Florida by Marilyn McMaster, who co-owned the horse with Alex and JoAnn Lieblong and trainer David Fawkes. The son of Graeme Hall ran first or second 12 times in 30 starts with seven wins and $1.9 million in purse earnings. Five of his wins came in stakes – the 2009 Iowa Derby, 2010 Fort Lauderdale (G3), Oaklawn Handicap (G2) and Iselin (G3) and 2011 Charles Town Classic (G3).

Sunday’s Estimated $125,000 Rainbow 6 Pool Includes 3 Turf Races

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 will have an estimated pool of $125,000 Sunday with three of the six races on the turf.

The sequence begins with Race 4, a six-furlong starter optional claimer for fillies and mares, and concludes with Race 9, an allowance turf race at a mile for 3-year-olds and up. The sequence will include three races on the turf.

Race 5 is an allowance optional claimer for fillies and mares at five furlongs on the turf and includes Cryingintherain, who will be making her first start in the U.S. for trainer Patrick Biancone. Race 7 is a starter optional claimer on the turf at a mile. Brigade Commander makes his first start off the claim for trainer Bobby Dibona. Navy Cross seeks his third consecutive victory and goes first time off the claim for Georgina Baxter.

Race 9 drew a field of nine including Won for Lou, who enters off a fifth-place finish in the Bear’s Den Aug. 29, and Souper Attentive, shipping in from Colonial Downs for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse.

In the Rainbow 6, the jackpot pool is paid out only when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day’s pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

On mandatory payout days, the entire pool is disbursed to the bettor or bettors holding tickets with the most winners in the six-race sequence.

Notes: Trainer Victor Barboza Jr. sent out back-to-back winners Saturday, World Traveler ($4.20) in Race 4 and Karolina Pharoah ($8.60) in Race 5. Barboza added a third win with Roar Ready ($12.40) in Race 9 … Both World Traveler and Chrome Ghost ($25) in Race 6, the $65,000 Duke of Mischief overnight handicap, were ridden by Samy Camacho.