Maxfield’s smashing Matt Winn caps huge card; $19M+ bet
Churchill Downs’ stakes recaps of Stephen Foster Preview Day (Coady Photography photos, including above of Maxfield)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Saturday, May 23, 2020) – Godolphin’s talented Grade I winning-homebred Maxfield made a triumphant return to the races Saturday at Churchill Downs when he rallied in deep stretch to beat Ny Traffic by one length in the 23rd running of the $150,000 Matt Winn presented by Woodford Reserve (Grade III) for 3-year-olds.
“Maxfield is thinking Derby,” exclaimed Travis Stone, the voice of Churchill Downs when the dark bay or brown colt crossed the finish line to remain unbeaten in three starts.
Maxfield and Jose Rosario winning the Matt Winn.
Maxfield clocked 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:43.05, earned $88,350 and collected 50 points as part of the “Road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve” series. The Winn, which offered points on a scale of 50-20-10-5 to the Top 4 finishers, was added to an extension of the series when the 146th running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve was rescheduled to Sept. 5.
“We were really anxious to see this one,” said winning trainer Brendan Walsh. “It wasn’t an easy spot either. I think the top four horses are all really nice horses. It’s nice to get this one out of the way. It’s good to see him come back and see he’s as good if not better than when he was a two-year-old.”
Ridden by Jose Ortiz, Maxfield was rated in eighth down the backstretch but was only three lengths behind pacesetter Celtic Striker, who led the field of 10 through quarter-mile fractions of :23.98 and :48.21. Pneumatic and NyTraffic, who pressed the pace most of the way, took over leaving the final turn, but it was Maxfield who was finding his best stride. Maxfield ranged into contention with a wide move down the middle of the track, drew even with the leaders with a furlong left to run and inched clear in the final yards for the handy win.
“The start is a key part of the race,” Ortiz said. “Last time I worked him out of the gate at Keeneland he worked better. He’s really matured a lot. If you can keep breaking like he did today and be in a spot like he did, he’s going to be a really nice horse.”
Maxfield had been on the sidelines since his 5 ½-length score in the $500,000 Breeders’ Futurity (GI) at Keenelandin early October. He was one of the likely favorites for the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile but was forced to scratch because of a minor issue in his right front leg.
Now a winner of $442,762 and 60 points overall on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, the Matt Winn wasMaxfield’s first start of the year.
“He came off the layoff today going 1 1/16 miles and Brendan did a really good job to get him fit so I don’t see a mile-and-a-quarter being a problem at all.”
Maxfield returned $4.60, $3.80 and $2.80 as the 6-5 favorite. Ny Traffic, ridden by Paco Lopez, returned $4.40 and $3 and finished three-quarters of a length in front of Pneumatic who paid $2.80 to show under Ricardo Santana Jr.Attachment Rate was another 3 ¼ lengths back in fourth.
Necker Island, Celtic Striker, Shake Some Action, Informative, Flap Jack and Major Fed completed the order of finish. Mystic Guide and Crypto Cash were scratched.
“Jose gave him a great ride,” Walsh said. “He had a different kind of style than he did in the past. He broke really good. He won and we can’t ask for more than that.”
Maxfield, a son of 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense out of the Bernardini mare Velvety, was bred in Kentucky by his owners.
The Matt Winn is named in honor of the famed Churchill Downs president that served as the driving force in the development of the Downs and his beloved Kentucky Derby
OWENDALE FLIES LATE TO WIN $100,000 BLAME
Rupp Racing’s Owendale flew late down the middle of the Churchill Downs stretch and ran down longshotEverfast to win Saturday’s inaugural running of the $100,000 Blame presented by Norton Healthcare by a half-length.Silver Dust was another neck back in third.
The Brad Cox-trained Owendale (far outside), with Florent Geroux up, beat Everfast (rail) and Silver Dust to take the Blame Stakes.
Trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Florent Geroux, Owendale covered the one-turn mile on a fast track in 1:34.74. It was his first start of the year after winning the Lexington (Grade III), Ohio Derby (GIII) and Oklahoma Derby (GIII) at age 3. He also finished third in last year’s Preakness (GI) and was second to Tom’s d’Etat against elders in November’s Clark (GI) at Churchill Downs.
“He ran very impressively today,” Geroux said. “This isn’t his best distance and not the end goal but it was very exciting to see him return to the races off of a layoff like that.”
Backyard Heaven broke alertly and led field of 12 older horses down the backstretch through swift fractions of :22.74 and :45.36 with Diamond King in close pursuit and Owendale near the rear. Diamond King took over into the turn after six furlongs in 1:09.88 but Everfast surged to his inside at the head of the stretch while Silver Dust made his move from the outside. At the top of the lane Owendale had just three horses beat but he finished with a determined late rush down the center of the track to spoil the chances of Everfast and Silver Dust.
The victory was worth $57,660 for owner Jim Rupp and increased Owendale’s bankroll to $1,129,185 with a record of 6-2-2 in 15 starts.
“It was great to see him return like that going a one-turn mile,” Cox said. “This definitely puts him in a position to try more graded stakes later on in the year at a better distance going two turns. I thought he was breezing well enough that he would return to the races sharply and ended up doing so. We’ll look like races like the Stephen Foster for his next start but he will like the two-turns better.”
Owendale is a 4-year-old Kentucky-bred son of Into Mischief out of the Bernardini mare Aspen Light.
Owendale returned $9, $5.20 and $4 as the 7-2 second betting choice. Everfast, ridden by Joel Rosario, paid $20 and $9.60 with Silver Dust in third under Adam Beschizza and paying $6 to show.
It was another 2 ¾ lengths back to Mr. Money, who was followed in order by Snapper Sinclair, 2-1 favorite Global Campaign, Diamond King, Backyard Heaven, Alwaysmining, Extraordinary Jerry, Discreet Lover and Long Range Toddy. Bourbon Resolution and American Anthem were scratched.
The Blame, named after the 2010 Eclipse Award-winning older horse that handed Zenyatta her lone defeat in that year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic (GI) at Churchill Downs, could serve as a steppingstone to the $500,000 Stephen Foster (Grade II) for 4-year-olds and up at 1 1/8 miles on Saturday, June 27.
DUNBAR ROAD RETURNS IN STYLE WITH $100,000 SHAWNEE TRIUMPH
Peter M. Brant’s Alabama (Grade I) winner Dunbar Road overcame a sluggish start and surged past Chocolate Kisses in deep stretch to draw off and win by 1 ¾ lengths in the first running of the $100,000 Shawnee presented by TwinSpires.com to open Saturday’s “Stephen Preview Day” at Churchill Downs.
Grade 1 winner Dunbar Road winning the Shawnee Stakes.
Trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Jose Ortiz, Dunbar Road covered the 1 1/16 miles on a fast main track in 1:43.65. Now a winner in five of eight starts, Dunbar Road banked the $60,140 first prize and has earned $758,040.
The complexion of the race changed when the gates sprung open and expected pacesetter She’s a Julie, the 2-1 second betting choice and winner of last year’s La Troienne (GI), hopped in the air at the start. Instead, it was longshotFlower Party (IRE) who led the field of eight fillies and mares through comfortable early fractions of :24.72, :48.66 and 1:13.06 with Dunbar Road well back of the leader down the backstretch.
As the gray Awe Emma poked her head in front leaving far turn, Dunbar Road made a sweeping wide move to draw even at the head of the lane with Chocolate Kisses also challenging between horses. Dunbar Road, who was unraced since finishing fifth in last fall’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff (GI) at Santa Anita, was up for the challenge and fended off Chocolate Kisses late to pull clear for the comeback win.
“We broke a little slow but she’s so classy,” Ortiz said. “I’m very happy she’s back.”
A 4-year-old daughter of Quality Road out of the Bernardini mare Gift List, Dunbar Road returned mutuels of $3.40, $3.20 and $2.40 as the odds-on 3-5 favorite. Chocolate Kisses, ridden by Declan Carroll, returned $11 and $5.40 and finished 1 ¼ lengths in front of a rallying Vault, who paid $3 to show under Joel Rosario.
Awe Emma finished another three-quarters of a length back in fourth and was followed in order by Another Broad, She’s a Julie, Moonlit Garden and Flower Party (IRE).
The Shawnee, named after the neighborhood in western Louisville, is a prelude to the $200,000 Fleur de Lis (Grade II) for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on Saturday, June 27 at Churchill Downs.
SMOOTH LIKE STRAIT RUNS THEM OFF THEIR FEET IN $100,000 WAR CHANT
Cannon Thoroughbreds LLC’s homebred Smooth Like Strait dueled Island Commish for most of the race before he put away that rival with three-sixteenths of a mile to run and comfortably won Saturday’s inaugural $100,000 War Chant presented by TwinSpires.com at Churchill Downs by 1 ¾ lengths over Pixelate.
Smooth like Strait taking the War Chant.
Smooth Like Straight, trained by Michael McCarthy and ridden by John Velazquez, defeated a dozen rival 3-year-olds as he covered one mile on firm turf in 1:36.77.
The leaders rattled off fractions of :23.90, :48.24 and 1:12.33 and were five lengths clear of the rest of the field at the head of the stretch.
“The turf was really firm the entire day and I was really excited about my horse’s chances,” Velazquez said. “Then, right before the race, the rain started but I’m really proud that he handled everything well. He ran a hard race.”
The victory was worth $57,040 and increased Smooth Like Strait’s earnings to $178,323 with a record of 3-1-1 in seven starts. The Kentucky-bred son of Midnight Lute out of the Flower Alley mare Smooth as Usual won the Cecil D. DeMille (Grade III) as a 2-year-old and finished second to Hariboux (GB) in the $100,000 Pasadena at Santa Anita on Feb. 29.
Smooth Like Strait returned $12.20, $7.20 and $5.20 as the 5-1 third-betting choice. Pixelate, ridden by Joel Rosario, returned $10.60 and $7 and finished a half-length in front of 3-1 favorite Field Pass, who paid $3.80 to show under Jose Ortiz.
Hieronymous, South Bend, Shared Sense, Street Ready, Fenwick Station, Bama Breeze, Bodecream, Billy Batts, Island Commish and Liam’s Pride completed the order of finish. Vanzzy and Natural Power (IRE) were scratched.
The War Chant, named in honor of the 3-year-old who won the 2000 Breeders’ Cup Mile (GI) at Churchill Downs, came four weeks in advance of the $100,000 Audubon, a 1 1/8-mile turf event at Churchill Downs on Saturday, June 20.
BREEDERS’ CUP WINNER SHARING PREVAILS IN $100,000 TEPIN
Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (Grade I) winner Sharing was victorious in her 3-year-old debut when she beat Abscond by a half-length in Saturday’s first running of the $100,000 Tepin presented by Woodford Reserve at Churchill Downs.
Trained by Graham Motion and ridden by Manny Franco, Sharing added the Tepin to her résumé when she ran one mile on firm turf in 1:36.26.
Breeders’ Cup winner Sharing takes the Tepin.
Longshot In Good Spirits dictated the pace through early fractions of :24.16, :48.39 and 1:12.33 with Outburst (GB), Walk In Marrakesh (IRE), Sharing and 8-5 favorite Alms rating just behind. Off the final turn, Sharing swung out four-wide, collared the leader in upper stretch and grabbed the lead with a furlong to run. Abscond and Pass the Platerallied late to grab second and third, respectively, from In Good Spirits, who finished fourth.
Alms lacked any punch down the stretch and finished fifth. Dominga, Walk In Marrakesh (IRE), Moral Reasoning, Jezebel’s Kitten, Queen of God, Outburst (GB), Eve of War and Oxium Power completed the order of finish. Hendy Woods and Heir of Light were scratched.
The victory was worth $57,040 and increased Sharing’s earnings to $787,340 with a record of 4-1-0 in five starts for Aron Wellman’s Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Antony Beck’s Gainesway Stable.
“It’s great seeing her back to her form from last year,” Franco said. “She’s very classy but it makes your job easier when you have nice horses underneath you.”
Bred in Maryland by Kevin Plank’s Sagamore Farm, Sharing is a well-bred daughter of Speightstown out of the Pleasantly Perfect mare Shared Account, who won the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (GI) at Churchill Downs.
Sent off as the 2-1 second betting choice in the field of 13 three-year-old fillies, Sharing returned $6.60, $4.40 and $3.60. Abscond, ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, returned $11.40 and $7. Pass the Plate finished another three-quarters of a length back in third under Julien Leparoux and paid $8.80 to show.
The Tepin, named after the brilliant two-time Eclipse Award-winning turf mare in 2015-16, served as a prep to the 51st running of the $100,000 Regret (GIII), a 1 1/8-mile turf event for 3-year-old fillies on Saturday, June 27.
ODDS AND ENDS
Betting on Saturday’s 11-race card at Churchill Downs totaled a lofty $19,281,988. … Racing beneath the Twin Spires will continue Sunday at 1 p.m. (all times Eastern) with a 10-race card. … There is a $105,951 carryover in the 20-cent Single 6 Jackpot on Races 5-10. … Racing from Churchill Downs on Sunday will air on FS2 from 1-3:30 p.m. and FS1from 3:30-6 p.m. as part of FOX Sports’ “America’s Day at the Races” coverage. It also will be broadcast on FOX Sports Ohio (3-5:30 p.m.) and FOX Sports South (3-5:30 p.m.).
