Majestic Affair sticks with best game in Winkfield

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – His connections having resisted the temptation to stretch him out in distance, Majestic Affair will be doing what he’s proven he does best when he sprints in Sunday’s $100,000 Jimmy Winkfield Stakes for 3-year-olds at Aqueduct.

After failing to fill when originally scheduled for Feb. 28 – and again a couple of days subsequent to that – the Winkfield went with six runners for Sunday. The six-furlong race has been carded as the third on the nine-race card, which begins at 1:20 p.m. Eastern.

Majestic Affair, a gelding by Majesticperfection, was one of four originally entered for the Winkfield. The extra week helped entice the connections of recent maiden winners Possessed and Lord Commander to enter the fray. Those two horses add speed to what already seemed like a legitimate pace. That’s all the better for Majestic Affair, who came from off the pace to post identical 5 3/4-length victories in the Fred “Cappy” Capossela on Jan. 2 and the Frank Whiteley at Laurel Park on Jan. 29.

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Though Majestic Affair was nominated to Saturday’s Grade 3 Gotham around two turns, his connections – owners Jim Covello, Thomas Coleman, and Doheny Racing and trainer Chad Brown – elected to keep him short.

Rounding out the field are Joe Franklin, the runner-up in the Capossela; Regal Minister, the runner-up in the Rego Park Stakes for New York-breds; and Ackeret, who shortens up after running fourth in the Grade 3 Jerome around two turns.

KEY CONTENDERS

Majestic Affair (Last 3 Beyers: 92-97-84)

◗ Has the ability to stalk regardless of how fast the early fractions are, and that gives him a big edge in a race seemingly loaded with early-speed types.

◗ His connections said the eight-day delay in running this race should have little bearing on Majestic Affair.

“He’s been training super since his last race,” Cherie DeVaux, New York-based assistant to Brown, said Friday after Majestic Affair galloped. “After not training for two days, he was a little on his toes today. As far as fitness and how he’s doing, he’s done pretty well.”

Joe Franklin (Last 3 Beyers: 83-79-79)

◗ He set the pace in the Capossela but was no match for Majestic Affair while finishing 3 1/4 lengths clear of the third-place finisher. This will be his first start since then.

◗ He figures to get more pace pressure this time from Lord Commander and Regal Minister.

Lord Commander (Beyer: 88)

◗ He was not among the original entrants for this race and now has had 29 days between races after winning his debut by a length here Feb. 7.

◗ He showed good speed in his debut and likely will have to be sent away from the gate by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. after drawing the rail.