Maxfield “canteres” into Derby Dozen

Posted On 24 May 2020

Ron Correll
Senior columnist
Tracksideview

Maxfield; Churchill Downs Photo

Maxfield proved that he has grown from being a good 2-year-old to maybe a great 3-year-old. The son of Street Sense easily powered by some over-matched talent to take the Matt Winn at Churchill Downs on May 23 at Louisville, Ky.

The colt was sitting second to last at the three-eighths pole when he was asked to go and caught the rest of the colt coming off the second turn and basically cantered from mid-stretch to the finish. The final time was a respectable 1:43.05 for the mile-and-a-sixteenth.

Trainer Brendan Walsh said Sunday morning that Maxfield exited the race in good shape. “I have just been thinking all along to go one race at a time with this colt,” Walsh said. “We’ll talk it over with the Godolphin team and plan for our next target whatever that may be. The most impressive thing about this horse is how he handles everything so well mentally,” Walsh said. “He’s such a cool horse and nothing really bothers him.”

The next race is the June 6, $400,000 Santa Anita Derby (GI) which awards points to the Top 4 finishers on a 100-40-20-10 scale. The newly released Belmont Park stakes schedule has the $1.5 million Belmont Stakes (GI) slated as June 20. The adjusted 1 1/8-mile event will award the Top 4 finishers 150-60-30-15 points.

Nadal (Blame) 150 points – won one division of the Arkansas Derby.

Charlatan (Speightstown) 100 points – won the other division of the Arkansas Derby.

Authentic (Into Mischief) 60 points – won San Felipe.

Maxfield (Street Sense) 60 points – came off a long layoff to win the Matt Winn.

Tiz the Law (Constitution) 122 points – won Florida Derby.

Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile) 25 points – won Robert Lewis.

Honor A.P. (Honor Code) 20 points – second in San Felipe.

King Guillermo (Uncle Mo) 90 points – second behind Nadal in Arkansas Derby.

Ete Indien (Summer Front) 54 points – third in Florida Derby.

Wells Bayou (Lookin at Lucky) 104 points – won Louisiana Derby.

Shivaree (Awesome of Course) 40 points – second in Florida Derby.

Basin (Liam’s Map) 50 points – second behind Charlatan in Arkansas Derby.