One Kentucky Derby hopeful sidelined with injury, another scores a comeback win.
Another top 3-year-old Thoroughbred will miss this year’s Kentucky Derby.
Godolphin announced Wednesday that Maxfield has been pulled off the Kentucky Derby trail after X-rays revealed the multiple graded stakes winner has a non-displaced condylar fracture in his right front leg.
Maxfield was training for a start in the July 11 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes, a major Kentucky Derby prep race, when he began showing signs of distress following a morning workout at Keeneland on Wednesday. Trainer Brendan Walsh confirmed Maxfield was scheduled to have surgery at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington.
“This is a very disappointing event, obviously, but we are certainly grateful that Maxfield’s injury wasn’t worse and we look forward to seeing him return to the races next year,” Godolphin president Jimmy Bell said.
Also on Wednesday, the Daily Racing Form reported that Louisiana Derby winner Wells Bayou will miss the Kentucky Derby because of bone bruising. Bob Baffert trainees Nadal and Charlatan have also recently been pulled off the Kentucky Derby trail because of injury.
Undefeated in thee career starts, Maxfield was No. 9 on the Road to the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard after returning from a nearly seven-month layoff to win the Grade III Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 23. Last October he breezed to a 5 1/2-length victory in the Grade I Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland and was considered a top contender for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, but was scratched prior to that race because of an ankle chip.
Sole victor
Sole Volante made a huge move down the stretch to win Wednesday’s feature race at Gulfstream Park, a contest that featured three of the current top 20 horses in the Kentucky Derby points standings.
Currently No. 14 on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard, Sole Volante improved to 4-1-1 in six career starts. His connections plan to enter him in the June 20 Belmont Stakes barring any setbacks.
Shivaree, who moved up to No. 10 on the Kentucky Derby points list following a second-place finish in the Florida Derby, dueled with fellow Derby contender Ete Indien before finishing third. Ete Indien, currently fifth in Kentucky Derby qualifying points, finished fourth.
Churchill stakes
The Spring Meet at Churchill Downs continues this week with racing scheduled through Sunday, and a rich stakes contest highlights the weekend action in Louisville.
Arklow is expected to be among the top contenders in the Grade III, $100,000 Louisville Stakes, which is scheduled to be the last of 11 races on Saturday.
Trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Florent Geroux, Arklow is among 12 horses entered in the 1 1/2-mile turf contest. It will be his first start since finishing fifth in the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at Gulfstream Park in January. Arklow has won six times in 25 career starts, most recently the Grade I, $500,000 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic during the Churchill Downs Fall Meet.
“It was a huge relief to see him win that Grade I (the Joe Hirsch),” Cox said. “He had such a strong campaign and was knocking on the door at a Grade I.”
Among Arklow’s top rivals in the Louisville figure to be defending champion Tiz a Slam. Trained by Roger Attfield, Tiz a Slam cruised to victory in last year’s Louisville under Steve Bahen. Following that win, Tiz a Slam recorded wins in the Grade 3 Singspiel and the Grade 2 Nijinsky at Woodbine. He’ll enter the Louisville off of a six-month break following a seventh-place finish in the Grade 3 Red Smith in late November at Aqueduct.
Another contender is the Brian Lynch-trained Admission Office, who finished second behind Zulu Alpha in the Grade 2 Mac Diarmida at Gulfstream Park in February. Admission Office drew post 12 with Julien Leparoux in the saddle.
Other stakes
Six graded stakes winners will face off in the 52nd running of the Grade I, $300,000 Ogden Phipps for fillies and mares at Belmont Park on Saturday, with the winner earning an automatic berth in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Keeneland on Nov. 7 as part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series.
Kentucky-bred Ollie’s Candy will be looking for her second Grade 1 win, shipping from California following a second-place finish in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom on April 18 at Oaklawn Park. Trained by John Sadler, the daughter of Candy Ride set the pace in the full field of 14 and battled with fellow California-based Ce Ce in the final furlong, missing out by a head.
Last year, Ollie’s Candy defeated Grade 1-winners Secret Spice and Paradise Woods in the Grade 1 Clement L. Hirsch at Del Mar. Ollie’s Candy was beaten by a neck twice against graded stakes company as a 3-year-old. Jockey Joel Rosario, who piloted Close Hatches to victory in the 2014 Ogden Phipps, will steer Ollie’s Candy from post 5.
Trainer George Weaver will seek more Grade 1 glory at Belmont when he sends out Point of Honor, a 4-year-old Curlin filly, for Saturday’s race a week after scoring a victory in the Grade 1 Runhappy Carter with Vekoma. Point of Honor was third in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom last out, where she came from 23 lengths off the pace in the field of 14 and was beaten by just 2 1/4 lengths.
Red Mile reopening
Red Mile in Lexington will reopen to the public for horse racing simulcasting and historical wagering on Thursday with guidelines in place aimed at reducing the risk of spreading COVID-19.
Occupancy will be reduced and certain gaming machines throughout the facility will be off limits in order to promote social distancing. All patrons and staff will be required to wear masks and have their temperatures read by a thermal device before entering. Employees will be subjected to additional health-screening procedures before each shift.
Smoking will be banned from all areas of the gaming floor for the time being. Food vendors will be operating, but seating in those areas will be limited.
