Godolphin homebred Maxfield, a multiple graded stakes winner, breezed a half-mile in 49.09 seconds Friday morning on Saratoga's Oklahoma training track in company with maiden-winning filly Longpants Required [49.37] in preparation for the nine-furlong Grade 1, $1 million Whitney on Aug. 7 at the Spa, which offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Breeders' Cup Classic.
Maxfield, trained by Brendan Walsh, was caught by NYRA clockers through splits of 25.3 and out in 1:01.1, galloping out strong through the turn outside of his workmate.
“I just wanted them to start out nice and easy and pick it up as they went,” Walsh said. “It was a good work. I just wanted to get him back in the swing of things again. He looks like he's doing great. I was delighted with him yesterday when I got up here. He looked as good if not better than ever.”
A winner of seven-of-eight career starts with purse earnings in excess of $1.2 million, the 4-year-old Street Sense colt captured the 2019 Grade 1 Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland.
Maxfield suffered his only career defeat in March when third in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap. In his last two starts, Maxfield has taken a big step forward, garnering triple-digit Beyers, winning the Grade 2 Alysheba [105] on April 30 and the Grade 2 Stephen Foster [103] on June 26 both at Churchill.
Walsh said he was pleased with the colt's first breeze back since his Stephen Foster score.
“It's three weeks since he ran and it worked out fine,” Walsh said. “I wasn't in a rush to work him back with the shipping. It's just a question of keeping him happy and keeping him healthy.”
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