Maxfield tops strong field for Woodward
ELMONT, N.Y. – Maxfield, runner-up to Knicks Go in the Grade 1 Whitney at Saratoga, heads a field of six expected to run in the Grade 1, $500,000 Woodward Stakes here Oct. 2.
Maxfield, with seven wins from nine starts, will be looking for his first Grade 1 victory since he took the Breeders’ Futurity at 2 in 2019. Trainer Brendan Walsh shipped Maxfield from Saratoga – where he was stabled most of the summer – to Belmont Park earlier in the week. He was scheduled to have his final breeze over Belmont’s main track on Saturday.
Trainer Bill Mott is expected to run both Art Collector, winner of the Charles Town Classic, and Forza Di Oro, third as the favorite in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, in the Woodward, which returns to Belmont Park for the first time since 2005. It has taken the place on the calendar for the Jockey Club Gold Cup, which this year was moved to Saratoga.
Code of Honor, who won the Travers and Jockey Club Gold Cup here in 2019, came off a seven-month layoff to win the Philip Iselin Stakes on Aug. 21 at Monmouth Park. He is pointing to the Woodward as is By My Standards, whose one start at Belmont Park was a runner-up finish to Silver State in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap in June. Most recently, he finished last in the Grade 1 Whitney after stumbling at the start.