Friday, September 25, 2026
3rd race back after long layoff . . .
HALLANDALE BEACH - One-time Triple Crown hopeful John Hancock, on the comeback trail after going nearly 14 months between races, will make his third start off the layoff and first for new connections in Saturday’s $65,000 Duke of Mischief overnight handicap at Gulfstream Park.
The Duke of Mischief for 3-year-olds and up going a one-turn mile on the main track precedes the $100,000 Hollywood Beach, a five-furlong dash for 2-year-olds scheduled over the turf course, on a 10-race program that begins at 12:20 p.m.
By 2014 Florida Derby (G1) winner Constitution, John Hancock was bred and at the time co-owned by WinStar Farm and trained by Brad Cox when he debuted as a 3-year-old with back-to-back wins four weeks apart at Tampa Bay Downs, each as the favorite in front-running fashion, the latter in the 1 1/16-mile Sam F. Davis last February. The runner-up that day, Owen Almighty, subsequently won the Tampa Bay Derby (G3) and went on to run fifth in the Kentucky Derby (G1).
John Hancock was again favored and led the way before fading to be fourth in the 2025 Louisiana Derby (G2), after which he was sidelined by a condylar fracture. He didn’t race again for 407 days, returning to finish sixth after setting the pace in a one-mile optional claimer May 2 at Churchill Downs.
The setup and result were repeated in John Hancock’s most recent start June 10 at Churchill. He was entered in Fasig-Tipton’s horses of racing age sale July 26, purchased for $75,000 by Paula Rose Szalay’s Golden Kernel Racing Stable and sent to trainer Bobby Dibona at Gulfstream.
“I thought I would pay more. I was willing to pay [$100,000] and I got him for [$75,000]. I think I stole him for that money,” Dibona said. “I gelded him and I did a myectomy with him. I didn’t rush anything. He’s amazing. I’m very excited to run him.
“He had won the Sam Davis, so he was on the way to be something pretty good,” he added. “He suffered a condylar fracture in his hind leg, so they put a screw in, which [horses] do so well from, especially in behind. I don’t worry at all.”
John Hancock has breezed six times for Dibona at Gulfstream, including a bullet half mile in :46.62 seconds Sept. 7. Most recently, he went three furlongs from the gate in :35.78 Sept. 19.
“I’ve had him a few months. You can see he was cut out to be a good horse,” Dibona said. “Since he’s been with me, he’s just gone up, up, up, up. Every time I work him, he impresses me more. He went the other day from the gate in 35 and change and [the rider] was just sitting on him. He wasn’t riding hard or anything.”
Miguel Vasquez is named on John Hancock from Post 6 as the 2-1 program favorite in a field of nine, carrying co-topweight of 121 pounds. Supplemented into the Duke of Mischief, he is stablemates with undefeated multiple stakes-winning 2-year-old Sum of Success. “Right now, he’s impressing me more than anyone in my barn,” Dibona. “We’ve got to get going with him, but he’s ready. He’s good to go.”
Robert Wayne Jacobs and Dwight Puckett’s To the Eastside (Post 1, Edgar Perez, 3-1, 120) is the lone horse entered off a win, exiting a front-running one-length triumph over multiple stakes winner Classic of Course in the seven-furlong Benny the Bull Aug. 29 at Gulfstream.
The 5-year-old son of two-time graded-stakes winner Enticed drew the rail for the third straight race, including a neck loss to Grade 3-placed 9-year-old Mish in a six-furlong starter optional claimer Aug. 3. “It seems like he’s been on the inside quite a bit,” trainer Andrea Puckett said. “He came back great and we’re excited to run him back. We weren’t thrilled with the one hole again but if he can repeat what he did the last race, we’d be happy.
“He ran the race of his life last time,” she added. “We’ll see what happens, but we’re excited and hoping for a repeat, obviously. I think he looks pretty good in there.”
Puckett was not surprised with the effort put forth last out by To the Eastside, whose best races have come running on or near the lead. He will face familiar foes such as stakes winner Pure Class (Post 7, Diego Herrera, 7-2, 121) and stakes-placed Icelander (Post 2, Anthony Thomas, 15-1, 118), who respectively ran third and fifth in the Benny the Bull.
“We knew the horse was doing really well and he was training forwardly,” Puckett said. “He’s kind of a laid-back horse until he hits the racetrack. He lets you know when he’s ready and we think he improves every time he goes out there. He gains a little bit more experience and his confidence is on high right now.”
Gerald Bennett-trained stablemates Chrome Ghost (Post 3, Samy Camacho, 6-1, 120) and El Principito (Post 4, Jonathan Ocasio, 20-1, 117); Awesome Train (Post 5, Marcos Meneses, 15-1, 117), Fiveeyesonskystars (Post 8, Leonel Reyes, 15-1, 118) and Lightning Tones (Post 9, Jose Morelos, 8-1, 121), winless in three starts since defending his title in the Jan. 10 Sunshine Classic, complete the field.
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).