Proxy eyeing New Orleans Classic after sharp return

Proxy is headed back to stakes competition following his sharp second-level allowance race win Friday at Fair Grounds.

Starting for the first time since April 10, Proxy raced about seven lengths behind a fast pace in this two-turn dirt contest before closing on the leaders around the far turn. Racing with a focus and determination he hadn’t shown as a 3-year-old, Proxy stormed to the lead and drew away to a 3 3/4-length victory. He ran 1 1/16 miles in a swift 1:42.45 and got a 93 Beyer Speed Figure.

Proxy, a Godolphin homebred by Tapit out of the multiple Grade 1-winning Include mare Panty Raid, came out of the race in good shape, trainer Michael Stidham said Sunday, and is a candidate for the New Orleans Classic on March 26.

“I thought he was going to make a run, but I didn’t know if he could make up that much ground,” Stidham said. “The fractions got to the leaders, and that may have flattered his finish, but he still had to run by them and obviously he did it with ease. We were delighted coming off that long a layoff running as fast as he did and as well as he did. Last year, he was always kind of hanging the last eighth, but this time that was when he kicked in and finished strong. He’s bigger, stronger – all the things you want to see from a 4-year-old coming back.”

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Proxy was part of a strong group of 3-year-olds stabled in New Orleans last season, holding his own with the likes of Mandaloun and Midnight Bourbon.

In Kentucky, the Stidham-trained Godolphin homebred Mystic Guide is galloping at Keeneland under the supervision of Godolphin trainer Johnny Burke, who gave Stidham a favorable report this weekend on Mystic Guide’s condition. Winner of the 2021 Dubai World Cup, Mystic Guide finished second July 3 in the Suburban Stakes but has not started since.

Mystic Guide underwent surgery to remove a knee chip last summer and got as far as two published Fair Grounds workouts in December before he met with another setback. Mystic Guide was sent to Kentucky for a full veterinary evaluation and given the green light to go back into training. If all continues going well, he’ll rejoin Stidham’s stable when he moves his stock north to Keeneland from Fair Grounds.

“We’ll get him back up to the breeze level and see where we’re at when we get there,” Stidham said. “That’s the next time we’ll really know more, when we see how he’s handling speed work.”