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Stewards’ Hearing On Justify’s 2018 Santa Anita Derby Continued To Oct. 29

A stewards' hearing of a complaint seeking disqualification of Justify from the 2018 Santa Anita Derby has been postponed from its original date of Sept. 20 to Oct. 29. A spokesman for the California Horse Racing Board told the Paulick Report Wednesday that parties needed more time to prepare.

The CHRB voted during a closed session Aug. 20 to proceed with the complaint, which seeks disqualification of the horse and redistribution of the purse based on a laboratory finding of scopolamine. The Board determined at that time not to file a complaint against trainer Bob Baffert, citing evidence that the positive was likely a result of environmental contamination from Jimsonweed.

The hearing is part of a settlement agreement between the CHRB and Ruis Racing, owner of Bolt d'Oro, who ran second behind Justify in the Santa Anita Derby. Ruis Racing had sued the CHRB over its handling of the Justify case, which a New York Times story revealed was dismissed behind closed doors with no public announcement of the post-race finding.

Officials have since indicated that other horses also tested positive post-race for scopolamine, supporting their conclusion that Jimsonweed may have appeared in a shipment of hay delivered to the backstretch ahead of the race.

Learn more about Jimsonweed from this informational bulletin distributed by the Racing Medication and Testing Consortium.

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Undefeated Maxfield Returns To Training After Rehabbing Condylar Fracture

Godolphin's undefeated homebred Maxfield, once considered a top contender for the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby (Grade 1), has returned to trainer Brendan Walsh's barn at Churchill Downs after rehabbing a condylar fracture that removed him from Derby contention.

Maxfield, the Grade I-winning son of Street Sense, began light training last week at Churchill Downs after he missed about 90 days of training from a non-displaced lateral condylar fracture that he suffered June 10 at Keeneland. At the time, the Breeders' Futurity (G1) and Matt Winn (G3) winner was prepping for the July 11 Blue Grass Stakes (G2).

It's been a trying few months for Walsh whose Derby dreams were dashed when Maxfield was sidelined, but last week he lost his close friend, champion Irish jockey Patrick Smullen to pancreatic cancer. Walsh, who grew up in Ireland, spent several years alongside Smullen while working for Godolphin in Dubai.

“He's gone way too soon, unfortunately,” Walsh said on “At the Races with Steve Byk.” “He was just a great guy. I've known Patrick for well over 20 years. We met in Dubai and he'd come out during the winter to ride. When he first came to Dubai I knew he was my kind of guy – with a quiet demeanor and was easy going. We've been the best of friends since.

“He always took a great interest about what was going on over here. He loved coming over here to ride. He loved our racing. He loved the Breeders' Cup. He'd always ask about our jocks like Julien (Leparoux) and Johnny (Velazquez). He made a lot of friends over here and it was just the mark of the man of who he was. He was diagnosed a couple of years ago and the last couple of months he was very, very sick. We always talked and, on two occasions, he thought he had cancer beat. I have a text from him the other week and it was most positive text I got from him in the last couple of months. When I think about it, I think it was his way of telling people to not be upset. I think he knew his time was coming. He did some amazing things during the latter part of his life and helped raise more than $3 million for pancreatic cancer research. It was one of his proudest achievements. It was just another feather in the cap of the person he was.”

Smullen, who was a nine-time Irish champion jockey, never rode in any races for Walsh but spent vacation one winter in South Florida at Palm Meadows.

“He came over and galloped for a week one time in Palm Meadows,” Walsh said. “…He always loved it here It was on his bucket list to see the Derby. Unfortunately it didn't materialize.”

Plans for Maxfield's return to the races have not been finalized.

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Warrior’s Charge To Prep For Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile In Saturday’s Ack Ack At Churchill Downs

Ten Strike Racing and Madaket Stables' multiple stakes winner Warrior's Charge tops a full field of 14 that were entered in Saturday's $100,000 Ack Ack (Grade 3) at Churchill Downs.

The one-mile Ack Ack, carded as Race 9 with a post time of 4:53 p.m., could serve as a prep for the $1 million Breeders' Cup Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile (GI) on Nov. 7 at Keeneland. First post Saturday is 12:45 p.m.

Trained by Brad Cox, Warrior's Charge was elevated to first in last month's Philip H. Iselin Stakes (G3) at Monmouth after interference by Pirate's Punch in the stretch. Warrior's Charge, a 4-year-old son of Munnings, won the $500,000 Razorback (G3) at Oaklawn earlier this year and finished second behind By My Standards in the $600,000 Oaklawn Handicap (G2).

Jockey Florent Geroux will ride Warrior's Charge in the Ack Ack from post No. 1.

Among the other rivals that entered Saturday's affair include Don Tiger's multiple graded stakes winner American Anthem; Calumet Farm's 2019 Preakness (GI) runner-up Everfast; Allied Racing and Spendthrift Farm's four-time Grade III hero Mr. Money; and Heads Up Racing and M and M Racing's multiple stakes winner Pioneer Spirit.

In total, the Ack Ack field has combined for 65 wins and more than $6.94 million in purse earnings.

The complete field for the Ack Ack in order of post position (with jockey and trainer): Warrior's Charge (Geroux, Cox); Bourbon Calling (Brian Hernandez Jr., Ian Wilkes); Proverb (Adam Beschizza, Richard Baltas); American Anthem (James Graham, Mike Maker); Mr. Money (Gabriel Saez, Bret Calhoun); Pioneer Spirit (David Cohen, Robertino Diodoro); Alkhaatam (Declan Cannon, Danny Peitz); Ebben (Corey Lanerie, Steve Margolis); Bankit (Ricardo Santana Jr., Steve Asmussen); Thirstforlife (Chris Landeros, Wes Hawley); Dinar (Rafael Bejarano, Cherie DeVaux); Home Base (Joe Rocco Jr., Mike Tomlinson); and Everfast (Julien Leparoux, Jack Sisterson).

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Champion Game Winner Retired to Lane’s End

Champion Game Winner (Candy Ride {Arg}–Indyan Giving, by A.P. Indy) has been retired from racing and will stand the 2021 season at Lane’s End in Versailles, Kentucky. A stud fee will be forthcoming.

During his championship juvenile season, ‘TDN Rising Star‘ Game Winner was undefeated in four starts–a 5 3/4-length score in his career unveiling at Del Mar followed by the GI Del Mar Futurity, GI American Pharoah S. and GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs. After earning the champion 2-year-old title for the 2018 season, he returned at three to finish runner-up in the GI Santa Anita Derby and GII Rebel S. and finished fifth in the GI Kentucky Derby.

“As a 2-year-old, he was just phenomenal and he really brought it to that Championship level,” said Bob Baffert. “To do what he did really showed that he was the best of the best. Candy Ride was a brilliant racehorse and he throws brilliance, and with Game Winner, the minute he showed that brilliance, I knew we had something special.”

Game Winner was most recently seen winning the GIII Los Alamitos Derby by five lengths.

“After the Los Al Derby, he had a high suspensory injury, and Bob was trying to work through it and get him over it, and never could to his satisfaction,” said Lane’s End’s Bill Farish.

Bred in Kentucky by Summer Wind Farm, Game Winner is out of Indyan Giving, who has also produced graded-stakes winner Flagstaff (Speightstown). His second dam is Champion Fleet Indian who won five graded stakes and earned over $1 million. To date, his sire Candy Ride has produced 16 Grade I winners and is the fourth leading active sire by lifetime earnings.

“Champion 2-year-olds make great sires,” added Farish. “Street Sense, Uncle Mo, American Pharoah, and now Nyquist looks very promising. All were the very best of their generation and now are among the elite stallions in America. Game Winner dominated in his championship year and was a graded-stakes winner at three. He is a champion from the immediate family of a champion, so we are honored that Gary and Mary West have entrusted Lane’s End with his stallion career.”

Consigned by Lane’s End to the 2017 Keeneland September Sale, Game Winner realized $110,000 from agent Ben Glass.

“Mary and I have been excited about Game Winner since the day Ben Glass bought him for us at Keeneland,” said Gary West, who campaigned the champion colt. “These special horses are so hard to come by and to have a Champion means everything to us. I am so pleased he will stand at Lane’s End and I plan on supporting him extensively as I have with my other stallions, alongside the superior group of shareholders they have put together.”

“This includes Alpha Delta, Summer Wind Farm, SF Bloodstock, Mt. Brilliant Farm, Sea Horse Breeders, West Point and St. Elias. They are among the best breeders in America and undoubtedly will support him and contribute greatly to his chances to be a successful stallion.”

The 4-year-old retires with five wins and two seconds from eight career starts and earnings of $2,027,500.

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