Midnight Bourbon out to spoil Maxfield's farewell party

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A happy farewell is the plan for Maxfield, but beware the spoiler.

Midnight Bourbon sure looks like lone speed Friday in the Grade 1 Clark, and whether or not Maxfield can overcome that presumed tactical disadvantage in the final race of his outstanding career is what figures to determine the outcome.

Midnight Bourbon and Maxfield bookend a field of eight in the $750,000 Clark, the annual centerpiece event every fall at Churchill Downs, and given their superior Beyer Speed Figures and overall records, the 1 1/8-mile race might well come down to them and them alone.

Midnight Bourbon, with Joel Rosario riding from post 1, earned back-to-back 107 Beyers finishing second in each of his last two starts, the Travers and Pennsylvania Derby, both Grade 1 stakes. Trained by Steve Asmussen, the Winchell Thoroughbreds star will be making his first start against older horses after facing the elite of the 3-year-old division all year.

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Maxfield, with Jose Ortiz riding from post 8, rang up Beyers ranging from 103 to 105 in each of his last four starts during a 4-year-old campaign carefully orchestrated by trainer Brendan Walsh. Overcoming a couple of untimely setbacks along the way, the Godolphin homebred has won seven of his 10 career races, including all four starts at Churchill. He’s the 6-5 program favorite.

Both of the Clark favorites were purposely withheld from the Breeders’ Cup Classic on Nov. 6 at Del Mar to await this spot, and both have trained in excellent fashion at Churchill in recent weeks.

Midnight Bourbon, the 8-5 second choice on the Churchill morning line, “is as good as he’s ever been physically, according to what Steve has told us,” said David Fiske, the Winchell racing manager who will stand in for Ron Winchell and his family while they watch the Clark while vacationing in Mexico.

The last time a 3-year-old won the Clark was in 2016, when Gun Runner prevailed for Winchell and Asmussen in foreshadowing his Horse of the Year campaign of 2017.

Maxfield also enters in peak shape, said Walsh, following a series of workouts designed to make this a successful career finale. No one is more intent on seeing Maxfield go out a winner than his 48-year-old trainer.

“He’s not only been an incredible performer on the racetrack, but he’s just such a cool horse,” Walsh said. “We’re really going to miss him.”

As for race strategy, Rosario ought to find himself alone on the early lead, given a noticeable lack of opposing speed, and whether he can keep Midnight Bourbon in front the rest of the way is the crux of the matter. Rosario appears well on his way to his first Eclipse Award in leading all jockeys in North America this year in mount earnings, stakes wins, and graded wins.

Maxfield, a menacing stalker with a powerful turn of foot, is the most obvious candidate to reel in Midnight Bourbon – but if a monkey wrench gets thrown in there somewhere, any of a few fringe players might be stepping in.

King Fury (post 5, Brian Hernandez Jr.), the only other 3-year-old in the cast, has delivered most of his best work at Churchill, winning 3 of 4 local starts, including a 13-length romp in late September that equated to a career-best 98 Beyer.

“He’ll need to step it up against these two favorites,” said his trainer, Ken McPeek, “but obviously he’s shown how much he likes this track, and he’s really doing great into this.”

Todd Pletcher sends down a couple of well-regarded 4-year-olds from his New York base in Dr Post (post 3, Irad Ortiz Jr.) and Happy Saver (post 4, Tyler Gaffalione), both perhaps capable of upsetting with a breakthrough effort. Pletcher, the newly minted Hall of Famer, has two prior Clark wins with Magna Graduate (2005) and A.P. Arrow (2007).

Rounding out the cast are longshots Night Ops, Chess Chief, and Militarist.

First post Friday is 1 p.m. Eastern, with the Clark being run under the lights at 5:56 as the 11th of 12 races. As always, the largest ontrack crowd of the meet can be expected.

Following Thursday rain, a fast track is likely for Friday, with sunshine and a daytime high of 41 in the local forecast. Earlier races on a dirt-only program include three allowances (races 4, 9, 10).

After Friday, two days remain at this 21-day fall meet. Saturday will highlight the Grade 2 twins, the Kentucky Jockey Club and Golden Rod, on a 12-race card exclusively for 2-year-olds.

The meet closes Sunday, with live action on this circuit moving Thursday to Turfway Park in northern Kentucky for four months of winter action.