Maxfield proves too good in Alysheba Stakes
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LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Maxfield returned to his winning ways Friday with a 3 1/4-length triumph in the Grade 2, $400,000 Alysheba, the first of six straight graded stakes on a sensational 13-race Kentucky Oaks card at Churchill Downs.
Rating kindly for jockey Jose Ortiz while in the clear just a few lengths behind front-running Visitant, Maxfield looped into contention approaching the quarter pole and went on to steadily draw clear, finishing 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.39 over a fast track. He returned $3 as the heavy favorite in a field of six older horses and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 105.
“It feels great to have him back in the winner’s circle,” said Brendan Walsh, who trains Maxfield for owner-breeder Godolphin.
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The victory gives Maxfield a 6-for-7 career record, with his only defeat coming when he was third in his previous start, the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap.
“It feels great to get back to the winner’s circle,” said Walsh.
Visitant sped out early from post 1 while Roadster, the 3-1 second choice under Irad Ortiz Jr., went up to apply pressure with about six furlongs to go. Those two had a few lengths on Maxfield down the backstretch, but when it came time to go, it was all Maxfield.
“He just keeps going,” said Walsh. “He’s a remarkable horse and I’m blessed to have him.”
Maxfield has had an eventful career, with a couple of injuries having kept him from several key dates, including the 2020 Kentucky Derby and each of the last two Breeders’ Cups. Walsh declined to specify a targeted next spot, but the obvious long-term goal would be the Nov. 6 Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar, assuming the 4-year-old Street Sense colt keeps faring as well as he has.
After Visitant, an 11-1 shot who ran on well down the stretch, it was another 4 1/4 lengths back to Chess Chief in third. Completing the order were Roadster, Sonneman, and Attachment Rate.
This was the fourth graded win for Maxfield, following the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at 2, the Grade 3 Matt Winn at 3, and the Grade 3 Mineshaft earlier this year.
The $2 exacta (6-1) paid $45.20, the $1 trifecta (6-1-4) returned $45.80, and the 10-cent superfecta (6-1-4-5) was worth $110.20.
This was the 18th running of the Alysheba, named for the 1987 Kentucky Derby and 1988 BC Classic winner who was inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame in 1993. It was the leadoff event in the 20-cent Derby City pick six (races 6-11), a jackpot wager ending with the Oaks. The Derby City wager is subject to a mandatory payout on Derby Day.