Maxfield, Vitalogy will rejoin Brendan Walsh's stable in January

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Christmas will just have to come a little later for Brendan Walsh than everyone else. The Irish-born trainer said he expects to be reunited in Florida with Maxfield and Vitalogy “sometime in the early part of January” when both colts return from brief vacations.

Walsh said this week that he expects to have sufficient time with both colts to make the major spring races, assuming everything goes to plan. Both were scratched from their last scheduled starts in the Breeders’ Cup at Santa Anita.

Maxfield underwent successful surgery Monday to remove what his owner-breeder, Godolphin LLC, described in a media release as a “mildly displaced chip” from a front ankle. Upon returning from California, Maxfield had spent a few days at Walsh’s barn at Churchill Downs prior to being sent to the farm. The Monday surgery was performed by Dr. Larry Bramlage at the Rood & Riddle equine clinic in Lexington, Ky.

Maxfield is undefeated in two career starts, including a 5 1/2-length victory in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity last month at Keeneland. The Street Sense colt figured as one of the favorites in the Nov. 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile prior to being voluntarily withdrawn by Walsh three days before the race.

Conversely, Vitalogy was ordered scratched on the morning of the Nov. 1 BC Juvenile Turf by the team of veterinarians that worked the Breeders’ Cup. Walsh admits to lingering disappointment with that decision, saying “nothing was wrong then or now” with the British-bred colt who would have been one of the top choices in his race after finishing a fast-closing second in the Bourbon at Keeneland in his prior start.

“We checked him out head to toe and everything is fine,” Walsh said. “He’s only getting down time now because there’s really no race for him for a while.”

Vitalogy, owned by a three-way partnership that includes Qatar Racing, currently is stabled at Hunter Valley Farm in Versailles, Ky.

Walsh said he expects Maxfield and Vitalogy to arrive “right around the same time” in early to mid-January at the Palm Meadows training center in Boynton Beach, Fla. Walsh will split his stable between Palm Meadows and Fair Grounds through the winter.

The May 2 Kentucky Derby remains the goal for Maxfield, while such early season turf races as the Transylvania and/or the American Turf are logical spots for Vitalogy, Walsh said.