Queen Maxima overcomes a little trouble to take Senator Ken Maddy Stakes

DEL MAR, Calif. – From late December of last year to early May, Queen Maxima won five consecutive starts with jockey Juan Hernandez aboard.

The experiences gained in those victories helped Queen Maxima win for the sixth time in the last year in Friday’s $201,000 Senator Ken Maddy Stakes for fillies and mares at five furlongs on turf at Del Mar.

Queen Maxima overcame a touch of trouble to win her fourth stakes in the Maddy.

Hernandez steadied Queen Maxima at the three-eighths pole, moved the 4-year-old filly to the outside in early stretch, and won by a length.

Hernandez said his confidence soared when Queen Maxima handled the brief trouble without difficulty.

“I had to check,” he said. “When I grabbed her, she came back to me.”

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Queen Maxima was timed in 56.57 seconds and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 97.

In the last quarter-mile, Hernandez tracked Luan Machado on 8-5 Shoot It True before overtaking that rival in the final sixteenth.

“She gave me the kind of kick she had before,” Hernandez said.

Shoot It True, winner of two allowance races at Saratoga during the summer for trainer Wesley Ward, closed from sixth to lead in the stretch.

“The best horse won today,” Ward said.

Shoot It True finished three-quarters of a length in front of 9-2 Nay V Belle, who was followed by Great Venezuela, Marian Cross, Omnipontet, and Jungle Peace.

Marian Cross and Jungle Peace contributed to an early pace of 22.32 seconds for the opening quarter-mile, and 45.29 for a half-mile.

Queen Maxima, a 4-year-old filly by Bucchero, is owned by Ruben Islas and Michele Arthur, who races as Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures. Jeff Mullins trains Queen Maxima, who has won 7 of 12 starts and earned $570,560, all on turf.

Earlier this year, Queen Maxima won three consecutive stakes in turf sprints – the restricted Wishing Well Stakes and Grade 3 Monrovia Stakes at Santa Anita, and the Grade 3 Unbridled Sidney Stakes at Churchill Downs.

The $400,000 Unbridled Sidney Stakes is Queen Maxima’s richest win. The Maddy Stakes is her second-richest win.

During the Del Mar summer meeting, Queen Maxima was a troubled sixth in two stakes on turf – the Osunitas Stakes in a rare start at a mile on July 30, and by two lengths when hampered early in the Grade 3 Green Flash Stakes at five furlongs on Aug. 30.

The Maddy was Queen Maxima’s first start since the Green Flash. While there was a tense moment on the backstretch on Friday, Queen Maxima proved to be a comfortable winner.

“You never want to see them do that,” Mullins said. “She is quality enough to overcome that."

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