Maxfield goes last to first in Mineshaft, remains unbeaten

Maxfield, looking like a serious player in the older-horse dirt-route division, ran his record to five wins from five starts with a dominant victory Saturday at Fair Grounds in the Grade 3, $200,000 Mineshaft Stakes.

He won the 1 1/16-mile Mineshaft by 3 1/4 lengths while appearing well within himself and tallied easily despite breaking somewhat poorly and racing from last place around the first turn.

Maxfield ($3.20), a Godolphin homebred trained by Brendan Walsh, won his career debut, a one-turn mile at Churchill, before capturing the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland in October 2019. He shipped to Santa Anita for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, but was diagnosed with an ankle injury that required surgery the week of the race and didn’t start again until May 23, 2020. Upon his return, he lorded his superiority over solid 3-year-olds by winning the Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill, but broke a cannon bone, which also required surgery, before he could race again. His victory Dec. 19 in the Tenacious Stakes at Fair Grounds was followed by a brief, minor illness that precluded any January racing, but Maxfield looked as good as ever Saturday – if not better.

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“He’s just a special horse,” trainer Brendan Walsh said. “You point him in the right direction and he does it for you.”

Florent Geroux, riding Maxfield for the second time in a row, handled his mount patiently after the slow start as Dinar, a surprise pacesetter, ran off to a large lead, going a half-mile in a demanding 47.49 seconds. Maxfield is no plodder and has gears, and Geroux let him out a bit to get position down the backstretch; when the field hit the half-mile pole, Maxfield had only Dinar and Blackberry Wine in front of him.

Dinar was done at the three-furlong pole as Maxfield cruised up outside Blackberry Wine, made the front, and went smoothly about his business. He stopped the timer in a solid 1:43.67, looking like a colt ready for more, and galloped out with good energy.

“I just ride my horse wherever he’s comfortable,” Geroux said. “The key with this horse is get him into a nice rhythm. When I asked him down the lane, he gave me a very nice kick. I’m very excited.”

Sonneman improved upon a flat run last month in the Louisiana Stakes to finish second, with Chess Chief third. Enforceable, so impressive in a January allowance-race win at Fair Grounds, played no part in the Mineshaft. Wells Bayou was scratched.

Maxfield is by Street Sense out of Velvety, by Bernardini, seems to do everything so easily, and as good as he’s already been, he still has room to improve. Walsh deflected questions regarding immediate race plans, but the Dubai World Cup looms in late March. Wherever Maxfield races next, let’s hope it’s fairly soon, and that he can stay sound this season and have a full campaign.