Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Maxfield
Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Maxfield
Nicole RussoMay 20, 2020
Kentucky Derby pedigree profile: Maxfield
Trainer Barclay Tagg said Monday that in light of the recent announcement that racing will begin again at Belmont Park the first week of June, he is tentatively planning to ship Tiz the Law and the rest of his stable back to New York on June 1.
Authentic, an undefeated two-time stakes winner, worked six furlongs in 1:11 on Sunday at Santa Anita for a scheduled start in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby on June 6.
Churchill Downs officials announced Tuesday a partially updated list of qualifying races for the Kentucky Derby and Oaks while also making contingencies for the Preakness and/or Belmont Stakes in case either precedes the Derby.
A number of top 3-year-olds were in action last Saturday at Oaklawn Park in divisions of the Arkansas Derby, but many other elite Derby prospects – like Tiz the Law, Sole Volante, and Ete Indien – were cooling their heels, their trainers awaiting a clear path forward to the rescheduled Derby, now on Sept. 5.
Hill 'n' Dale Farm has acquired the future breeding rights to Kentucky Derby hopeful Charlatan, who remained unbeaten with a dominant victory in a division of the Arkansas Derby last Saturday.
Nadal, who won the faster division of the Arkansas Derby last Saturday, is the new favorite for the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby on the line of Marty McGee of Daily Racing Form.
Maxfield is widely regarded as a major contender for the 146th Kentucky Derby, but only because the coronavirus crisis forced Churchill Downs officials to postpone it from May 2 to Sept. 5. If the race had been run as originally scheduled, Maxfield would have been hard-pressed to make the race – let alone win it.
Blame scored the biggest victory of his career going 1 1/4 miles beneath the twin spires of Churchill Downs. A decade later his son Nadal is in position to chase another major victory going that classic distance at Churchill, as he remained unbeaten by winning a division of the Arkansas Derby.
Nadal, like stablemate Charlatan earlier on the card, remained unbeaten by winning the second division of the split Arkansas Derby. His time was slightly faster than that of Charlatan, and thus he got a slightly higher Beyer Speed Figure, one equal to his career best.