chess chief | Horse Racing Free Tips

Godolphin homebred Maxfield (Street Sense) will look to bounce back from his first-ever defeat as the Churchill Downs graded action kicks off Friday with the GII Alysheba S. The 2019 GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity hero was forced to miss that year's Breeders' Cup due to injury, and resurfaced a good-looking winner of the track-and-trip GIII Matt Winn S. some 11 months ago, only to be knocked off an elongated Triple Crown trail with a condylar fracture. He defeated Sonneman (Curlin) handily in both the Dec. 19 Tenacious S. and Feb. 13 GIII Mineshaft S., but settled for third as the favorite while testing 10 panels in the GI Santa Anita H. Mar. 6. Maxfield did pair up his career-best 99 Beyer Speed Figure in the Big 'Cap, and anything close to that will win this. Chess Chief (Into Mischief), who was third in the Mineshaft, annexed the GII New Orleans Classic S. last time Mar. 20. Fourth, beaten just 3/4 of a length, was 2019 GI Santa Anita Derby winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Roadster (Quality Road), who is back in the Bob Baffert barn after being switched to Mike Stidham for his last outing.

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Last early under Luis Saez, Chess Chief kicked into high gear down the stretch, catching 4-5 favorite Owendale at the wire in Saturday's Grade 2, $400,000 New Orleans Classic at Fair Grounds racetrack in New Orleans, La.

Trained by Dallas Stewart for the estate of James J. Coleman Jr., Chess Chief is a 5-year-old son of leading sire Into Mischief who was winning his first stakes in his 23rd career start. He covered 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.24 on a fast track and paid $12 to win on a $2 mutuel.

Multiple graded stakes winner Owendale, ridden by Florent Geroux for Brad Cox, finished second, beaten a head. Enforceable was a half-length back in third, with Roadster, a G1 winner for Bob Baffert making his first start since being transferred to Michael Stidham's barn, fourth in the field of seven older runners. Captivating Moon was scratched.

Roadster, with John Velazquez aboard, set the pace with Owendale racing on his right flank most of the way through fractions of :24.11, :48.30 and 1:11.64 for the first six furlongs.

Those two raced as a team into the stretch, with Owendale putting his head in front when they passed the mile marker in 1:36.08. Chess Chief, last early, swung widest of all into the stretch but still had work to do with a furlong to run. Saez kept to his task, however, and Chess Chief was up in time for the win – his fourth in 23 career starts.

The post Chess Chief Nails Owendale At The Wire In New Orleans Classic appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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