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Maxfield Returns a Winner at the Fair Grounds

The Tenacious S. at Fair Grounds was the site of the eagerly anticipated return of MAXFIELD (c, 3, Street Sense–Velvety, by Bernardini), whose stop-and-start nature of his career due to injury has done nothing to diminish the excitement surrounding the undefeated colt. Bursting onto the scene in September of 2019 in a one-mile Churchill maiden, he won like a good horse and promptly made the jump to the GI Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland, winning by 5 1/2 lengths to be slated as one of the top contenders for the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He missed the race due to an ankle injury and surgery to remove a chip. Back in May of this year, he captured the GIII Matt Winn S. with a 95 Beyer in just his third career start and was immediately nabbed as one of the hot prospects for the delayed GI Kentucky Derby, but a condylar fracture kept him in the barn.

Returning to competition again in the Tenacious, Maxfield picked up right where he left off in his return to action, taking his record to a perfect four-for-four. Glued to pacesetting Cool Bobby (Shanghai Bobby)’s outside hip through a :24.63 opening quarter, the 1-2 chalk kept after the leader as the half went in :48.39. The sleek dark bay drew even with Cool Bobby entering the turn and shrugged him off in early stretch, skipping clear for a 2 1/2-length score in 1:43.35.

Out of the winning Bernardini mare Velvety, Maxfield has a yearling half-sister by Medaglia d’Oro. Velvety’s 2020 foal–a full-sibling to Maxfield–died and the mare was bred to Uncle Mo for next term. Velvety is a daughter of the Storm Cat mare Caress, a MGSW who sold for $3.1 million at the 2000 Keeneland November sale. Caress is not only a full-sister to sire Bernstein from the family of champion Outstandingly (Exclusive Native) and a number of other high-class stakes winners, but she is also the dam of two graded winners herself, including GISW and sire Sky Mesa (Pulpit).

TENACIOUS S., $75,000, Fair Grounds, 12-19, 3yo/up, 1 1/16m, 1:43.35, ft.
1–MAXFIELD, 115, c, 3, Street Sense–Velvety, by Bernardini.
O/B-Godolphin, LLC (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh; J-Florent
Geroux. $46,500. Lifetime Record: GISW, 4-4-0-0, $489,262.
2–Sonneman, 117, c, 3, Curlin–Zardana (Brz), by Crimson Tide
(Ire). ($375,000 Ylg ’18 KEESEP). O-Courtlandt Farms (Donald
& Donna Adam); B-Arnold Zetcher LLC (KY); T-Steven M.
Asmussen. $15,000.
3–Dinar, 118, c, 4, Union Rags–Internal Affair, by Orientate.
($80,000 RNA Ylg ’17 KEESEP; $145,000 RNA 2yo ’18 FTFMAR;
$90,000 2yo ’18 OBSOPN). O-Al Rashid Stables, LLC; B-Royal
Oak Farm (KY); T-Cherie DeVaux. $7,500.
Margins: 2HF, 1 1/4, 4 1/4. Odds: 0.50, 3.60, 19.10.
Also Ran: Cool Bobby, Captivating Moon, Mocito Rojo, Locally Owned.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Tapit Son of Panty Raid Makes it Two in a Row in NOLA

1st-Fair Grounds, $48,500, Alw, 12-19, (NW2L), 2yo, 1 1/16m, 1:45.56, ft, 2 1/2 lengths.

PROXY (c, 2, Tapit–Panty Raid {MGISW, $1,052,380}, by Include) missed by a neck in his off-the-turf debut at Monmouth Oct. 24 and broke through next out here Nov. 26. Hammered down to 3-5 favoritism in this four-horse affair, the Godolphin homebred seized the early advantage as he did in his graduation and was hounded by his rivals through a :24.97 first quarter. Briefly headed by Assumption (Medaglia d’Oro), the bay regained command as the half went in :49.05. His three foes stuck with him heading into the lane, but Proxy forged clear of them despite some green moments to register a 2 1/2-length victory. Good First (Carpe Diem) got up for second. Godolphin purchased his dam, two-time Grade I winner and millionaire Panty Raid, for $2.5 million at the 2008 Fasig-Tipton November Sale. She is also responsible for Micheline (Bernardini), MSW & GISP, $545,978. The 16-year-old mare’s 2019 foal by Frosted was born dead and she was not bred for 2020, but returned to that Darley stallion this spring. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $67,700. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Michael Stidham.

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Into Mischief Filly Romps at the Fair Grounds

7th-Fair Grounds, $47,000, Msw, 12-18, 2yo, f, 1m 70y, 1:44.37, ft, 5 1/4 lengths.

DIVINE COMEDY (f, 2, Into Mischief–Via Strata, by Street Cry {Ire}) could only manage sixth in her 6 1/2-panel unveiling at Churchill Downs Sept. 17 and received Lasix for this first try at two turns. Going straight to the front, the 3-1 shot walked the dog through a half-mile in :48.40 and continued unchallenged into the lane, cruising clear to a 5 1/2-length success. Wicked Bisou (Wicked Strong), the half-sister to champion Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lute), was the runner-up. Divine Comedy is the first foal out of Via Strata, who has since produced a pair of colts by Into Mischief. She failed to get in foal to Ghostzapper this spring. Her second dam is MGSW & GISP Golden Velvet (Seeking the Gold), who produced graded winners Lucullan (Hard Spun) and Innovative Idea (Bernardini). The winner’s third dam is MGSW Caress (Storm Cat), who is the dam of Grade I-winning sire Sky Mesa (Pulpit). This is also the family of Grade I-winning sophomore Maxfield (Street Sense), who returns to action in NOLA Saturday. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $29,086. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H. Cox.

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‘He’s Matured Beautifully’: Undefeated Maxfield Returns To The Races In Saturday’s Tenacious

A potentially lucrative and prolific 2021 campaign gets underway in the twilight of 2020 when Maxfield makes his long-anticipated return to the races in Saturday's $75,000 Tenacious Stakes at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans, La. Run as the finale, the 1 1/16-mile Tenacious is the last of six $75,000 stakes run as part of the 13-race Santa Super Saturday card. Clearly, the eyes of the racing world will be focused on Fair Grounds as the undefeated Maxfield makes his first start since May.

Godolphin LLC's homebred Maxfield (post 6 at 8-5 on the morning line with Florent Geroux to ride) has had plenty of heartaches sprinkled in amongst a perfect 3-for-3 lifetime record for trainer Brendan Walsh. He was forced to miss the 2019 Breeders' Cup Juvenile with a minor foot injury and then got derailed off the Kentucky Derby trail soon after his win in Churchill's May 23 Matt Winn (G3). The 3-year-old son of Street Sense came out of a June 10 workout with a condylar fracture of his right front cannon bone, which prompted his connections to scrap any thoughts at a run in the Kentucky Derby on Sept. 5.

“We always thought he'd be a nicer 3-year-old, so to come back the way he did, then to lose him for the Derby was terribly disappointing,” Walsh said. “But at least we're getting another go with the horse. It would have been a terrible shame if we didn't get him back and he couldn't show what we think he's capable of.”

Maxfield broke his maiden on debut at Churchill in September 2019 and turned around a month later to win Keeneland's prestigious Breeders' Futurity (G1) by 5 ¼ lengths. He didn't resurface until the 2020 Matt Winn and now reappears in the Tenacious. With just three races in a stop-and-start career, Maxfield has plenty of upside as a lightly raced colt. He's worked eight times since late October, most recently logging 4 furlongs in :48.80 on Nov. 13 at Fair Grounds.

“He came out of his work great and we're looking forward to Saturday,” Walsh said. “We're happy what he's done. It (the Tenacious) was in my mind for a while, with the timing, and I think Fair Grounds will suit the horse, with the long straight and all. We haven't gotten anywhere near the bottom of him yet. He's as good as ever; he's matured beautifully, physically-speaking.”

Maxfield figures odds-on in a Tenacious that drew seven runners, though he spots recency to several, including Courtlandt Farms' Sonneman (post 5 at 3-1 with Ricardo Santana Jr.), who enters off a rousing optional-claiming win Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs. The 3-year-old son of Curlin has run five times for trainer Steve Asmussen after beginning his career with trainer Mark Hennig. He was the runner-up in Churchill's Pat Day Mile (G2) three back in September before running second in a Keeneland optional-claimer in October. Sonneman is 3-for-9 lifetime and has a plenty of early tactical speed that will enable him to get first run on Maxfield.

Lothenbach Stables Inc's Captivating Moon (post 3 at 9-2 with Brian Hernandez Jr.) won the local “off-the-turf” Buddy Diliberto Memorial on the Santa Super Saturday card last year and he is cross-entered in the race again this year. The 5-year-old son of Malibu Moon is winless in seven starts this year for trainer Chris Block but he has faced some tough competition. He was fourth to Silver Dust in the local Mineshaft (G3) in February before running second to By My Standards in the New Orleans Classic (G2) here in March. Captivating Moon is 4-for-26 lifetime and would be a stretch danger should he start.

Completing the Tenacious field from the rail out: Cool Bobby (12-1 with James Graham), a potential pace-setter for trainer Cherie DeVaux; G M B Racing's Locally Owned (post 2 at 5-1 with Miguel Mena), who enters off an optional-claiming win November 11 for trainer Al Stall Jr.; Wayne T Davis' Mocito Rojo (post 4 at 8-1 with Jack Gilligan), who won the Lukas Classic (G3) at Churchill in 2019 for trainer Shane Wilson but is just 1-for-8 since; and Al Rashid Stables LLC's Dinar (post seven at 12-1 with Shaun Bridgmohan), a close fourth two-back in Churchill's Ack Ack (G3) for DeVaux.

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