Bernardini matrons have huge day at Churchill

Champion and prominent sire Bernardini is steadily emerging as a broodmare sire, following in the footprints of his late, great sire, A.P Indy. Bernardini recorded a triple with three stakes winners out of his daughters on Saturday at Churchill Downs.

The star of the day was Godolphin homebred Maxfield, who remained unbeaten by winning the Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes to firmly re-establish himself on the Kentucky Derby trail. Maxfield, who won the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity last fall at Keeneland, is by Street Sense and out of the winning Bernardini mare Velvety. Both Street Sense and Bernardini stand for the international Darley operation in Kentucky.

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Earlier, Bernardini’s daughters were represented by Blame Stakes winner Owendale and Shawnee Stakes winner Dunbar Road. This was the fourth career stakes victory for millionaire Owendale, by Into Mischief, and out of the unraced Bernardini mare Aspen Light. He also was third in last year’s Preakness Stakes. Dunbar Road, winner of last year’s Grade 1 Alabama Stakes and Grade 2 Mother Goose Stakes, is out of the Bernardini mare Gift List.

To date, Bernardini is represented worldwide by 45 stakes winners out of his daughters, a solid number at a relatively early point on the curve in his second-generation career. Bernardini’s first-crop daughters were 4, the age at which some are likely to begin entering the broodmare ranks, in 2012; their resulting first foals would have been juveniles of 2015. The top runners out of Bernardini’s daughters include Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress, Travers Stakes and Belmont Derby winner Catholic Boy, and additional Grade 1 winners Hunter O’Riley and Mo Town. Internationally, Bernardini’s daughters have produced Mexican Triple Crown winner and champion Kukulkan, who came to the United States for a solid campaign in 2019; and Singapore Horse of the Year Qatar Man, winner of the Group 1 Singapore Gold Cup in 2018.