Maxfield to run in Blue Grass Stakes, skip Belmont Stakes

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Trainer Brendan Walsh said Monday that Maxfield will skip the Belmont Stakes to wait instead for the Blue Grass Stakes on July 11 at Keeneland, the colt’s home base.

Maxfield, a Godolphin homebred undefeated in three starts, figured no worse than second choice behind Tiz the Law in the June 20 Belmont and is widely considered one of the three favorites for the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, along with Tiz the Law and Honor A. P. His defection figures to leave Tiz the Law a heavy Belmont favorite.

“We think this is the right thing to do,” Walsh said. “I talked it over at length with the Godolphin team. The main aim for them – as it has been for a long time – is to win the Kentucky Derby. We feel this is the best way to get there.”

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Maxfield, by Street Sense, won the May 23 Matt Winn at Churchill following a layoff of more than seven months. He has 60 qualifying points toward the Derby, which should be enough to make the 20-horse cutoff already.

Owing to the coronavirus pandemic, the 146th Derby was rescheduled from its original May 2 date, after which the Belmont was rescheduled by the New York Racing Association from its original June 6 date and shortened to a one-turn race at 1 1/8 miles. The Preakness is set for Oct. 3.

The 1 1/8-mile Blue Grass is part of a five-day (July 8-12) Keeneland meet.

“With the way the whole schedule has been reconfigured this year, we wanted to take an approach to give him his best chance to peak Derby time,” Walsh said. “He’s still a horse who’s learning and maturing. By running in the Blue Grass, we’ll get to keep him around two turns, and he’ll get to run out of his own stall at Keeneland, where he trains every day. It’s a good progression from his excellent first run and gives him the right amount of time between races.”

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Walsh said another Derby prep race is possible following the Blue Grass.

“He could maybe run in between, but we’ll take every race as it comes,” he said.

Walsh said Maxfield will breeze at Keeneland for the first time since the Winn “in the next few days, depending on weather.”

“He’s been doing great since he ran, just super,” Walsh said.

Meanwhile, a terrific Churchill spring meet for Walsh hit another high note Sunday when the first-time starter Trident Hit was up by a nostril in the eighth race, returning $84.80.

“I thought we were a stride too late,” said Walsh whose eight wins have him second in the local trainer standings, behind only Brad Cox (11). “We’ve had some tough beats this meet, but things tend to balance out. We’re doing fine.”