Winchell Thoroughbreds' Gunite, winner of last year's GI Hopeful S., scored a determined victory in the Maxfield S. at Churchill Downs Sunday. The 4-5 favorite raced along the rail just off the pace as longshot Overtaxed (Fed Biz) took the field through fractions of :23.08 and :46.25. He had nowhere to run nearing the stretch, but the rail opened at the top of the lane and the favorite snuck through before grittily holding off both My Prankster and Hoist the Gold to get the best of a three-way photo finish on the wire.
Gunite was second in the GII Saratoga Special before his victory in last summer's Hopeful S. capped a remarkable Saratoga meet for his first-crop sire, Gun Runner, but the dark bay colt went to the sidelines following a fifth-place effort in the GI Champagne S. last October. He resurfaced with a runner-up effort over the Maxfield's track and seven-furlong distance in a June 3 optional claimer last time out.
Gunite's full-sister sold for $400,000 at last year's Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Stakes-winning Simple Surprise produced a filly by Copper Bullet in 2021 and she was bred to Tapiture last year. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
MAXFIELD OVERNIGHT S., $160,000, Churchill Downs, 7-3, 3yo, 7f, 1:23.08, ft.
1–GUNITE, 123, c, 3, by Gun Runner
1st Dam: Simple Surprise (SW, $185,446), by Cowboy Cal
2nd Dam: Simplify, by Pulpit
3rd Dam: Classic Olympio, by Olympio
O/B-Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen;
J-Tyler Gaffalione. $97,311. Lifetime Record: GISW, 8-3-3-1,
$438,099.
2–My Prankster, 120, c, 3, Into Mischief–My Wandy's Girl, by
Flower Alley. ($600,000 Ylg '20 FTKSEL). O-Lawana & Robert
Low; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Todd A.
Pletcher. $31,810.
3–Hoist the Gold, 118, c, 3, Mineshaft–Tacit Approval, by Tapit.
($47,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Dream
Team One Racing Stable; B-Dream Team Racing (KY); T-Dallas
Stewart. $15,905.
Margins: HF, HD, 3 1/4. Odds: 0.90, 1.40, 30.70.
Also Ran: Tejano Twist, Burninhunkoflove, Overtaxed.
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