Maxfield and Knicks Go Lead Talented Field in G1 Whitney
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Saturday & Sunday • August 7 & 8, 2021 FEC/FTBOA PUBLICATION www.wiretowire.net FLORIDA’SDAILYRACINGDIGEST FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION or to subscribe, please call Antoinette at 352-732-8858 or email: [email protected] In This Issue: Ritvo Takes Confidence in Roman Poet Into Tyro Stakes Competitive Speed Looks to Pick Up Pace in Saturday’s Azalea Medina Spirit Works Bullet Five Furlongs Acorn Trifecta Back for Rematch in Longines Test Bolshoi Ballet in Fine Fettle Ahead of Maxfield/HODGES PHOTOGRAPHY G1 Saratoga Derby Invitational Maxfield and Knicks Go Lead Gulfstream Park Charts Talented Field in G1 Whitney Track Results & Entries BY RYAN MARTIN, seven wins and a third from eight career Florida Stallion Progeny List NYRA PRESS OFFICE______________ starts for trainer Brendan Walsh. The 4-year-old dark bay or brown son of Florida Breeders’ List SARATOGA, NY—Five-time graded Street Sense, who sired 2019 Whitney win- stakes-winner Maxfield brings a quality re- ner McKinzie, arrives at the Whitney off sume against a compact-but-stellar field of two of his best performances yet with three- Wire to Wire Business Place fellow graded stakes winners in Saturday’s and-a-quarter-length Grade 2 victories at 94th running of the $1 million Whitney Churchill Downs in the Alysheba (G2) on (Grade 1) at nine furlongs for older horses April 30 and the Stephen Foster (G1) on Featured at Saratoga Race Course. June 26, garnering a respective 105 and 103 Advertisers The Whitney is a Breeders’ Cup “Win Beyer Speed Figures. And You’re In” qualifying event for the $6 Maxfield will look to become the fifth Big Lick LLC million Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1) on winner of the Stephen Foster to subsequently Nov. 6 at Del Mar and headlines Saturday’s capture the Whitney, joining Awesome Again Florida Department of Agriculture lucrative 12-race card. [1998], Florida-bred Victory Gallop [1999], FTBOA Owned by Godolphin, who captured last Blame [2010] and Gun Runner [2017]. Saturday’s Grade 2 Jim Dandy with reigning “This year, we’ve got a nice body of Ocala Breeders’ Feed & Supply 2-Year-Old Champion Essential Quality, races into him which he hasn’t done before,” Maxfield boasts lifetime earnings of Walsh said. “He hasn’t really missed a beat Seminole Feed $1,265,902 and an outstanding record of Stonehedge Farm South See WHITNEY on page 3 Wire to Wire August 7 & 8, 2021 Back to Top Page 3 Whitney Continued from COVER since December. We’ve spaced his races out good and except for one or two, he’s had four-to-six weeks between starts. He’s still a fresh horse and that’s a good position to be in at this time of year.” A winner on debut going a one-turn mile in September 2019 at Churchill Downs, Maxfield gave Walsh his first Grade 1 victory in the Breeders’ Futurity going two turns at Keeneland next out, when making up nearly ten lengths from ninth to win by five-and- a-half lengths. Maxfield returned off a seven-month layoff to capture the Grade 3 Matt Winn in May 2020 at Churchill Downs before securing victo- ries in the Tenacious in December at Fair Grounds Race Course and the Grade 3 Mineshaft in February at the New Orleans oval. His lone defeat took place in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 6. A Kentucky homebred, Maxfield is out of the Bernardini mare Velvety, who is a half-sister to Grade 1-winner and producer Sky Mesa as well as graded stakes winner Golden Velvet. He is a direct descendant of prestigious broodmares Caress, La Affirmed and Busanda, all of whom hail from the influential La Troienne line. Jose Ortiz, who has piloted Maxfield to five of his seven wins, retains the mount from post five. Maxfield is listed at 8-5 on the morning line. Brad Cox will saddle 6-5 morning-line favorite Knicks Go in attempt to give the 5-year-old son of Paynter his fourth Grade 1 win. Through a record of seven wins, three seconds and a third from 21 stats, Knicks Go boasts the highest bankroll in the field with over $4.8 million in lifetime earnings. Sure to show his usual early speed, Korea Racing Authority’s Knicks Go captured last year’s Grade 1 Big Ass Fans Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on Nov. 5 at Keeneland, garnering a 108 Beyer. The gray or roan horse replicated that number in his 2021 bow, capturing the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup on Jan. 23 at Gulfstream Park. Knicks Go shipped to Saudi Arabia for the Group 1 Saudi Cup on Feb. 20, finishing a distant fourth. When returning stateside, Knicks Go cut back to one mile for the Grade 1 Metropolitan Hand- icap where he flaunted front-running tactics but finished fourth beaten three-and-a-quarter lengths by Whitney rival Silver State. Last out, Knicks Go surged to a 10 ¼-length victory in the Grade 3 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap on July 2, regis- tering a career-best 113 Beyer, which is the highest number recorded for an older horse going over one mile in 2021. Knicks Go has done all his serious Whitney preparation at Ellis Park, including a five-furlong breeze in :59.60 on July 31. “He’ll break running. We’ll see how far he can take himself around there, hopefully the whole way,” Cox said. “He’s set up for a big effort. He’s been working really well at Ellis.” Bred in Maryland by Angie Moore, Knicks Go is out of the Out- flanker mare Kosmo’s Buddy. Joel Rosario, who guided Frosted to a Whitney victory in 2016, will retain the mount aboard Knicks Go from post four. Peter Callahan’s Swiss Skydiver, the reigning Champion 3-Year- Old Filly, will attempt to become the first female to capture the Whitney since undefeated Hall of Famer Personal Ensign in 1988. The three-time Grade 1 winner, trained by Kenny McPeek, has notched six graded stakes victories dating back to last March when taking the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks in gate-to-wire fashion. From there, she added miles to the tank with triumphs in the Grade 3 Fantasy at Oaklawn Park last May and the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks last June. After making her first start against males with a game second in the Grade 2 Toyota Blue Grass at Keeneland last July, she See WHITNEY on page 5 Wire to Wire August 7 & 8, 2021 Back to Top Wire to Wire August 7 & 8, 2021 Back to Top Page 5 Ritvo Takes Confidence in Roman Poet Into Tyro Stakes BY MONMOUTH PARK PRESS OFFICE _________________ OCEANPORT, N.J. – It requires a lot of confidence these days to send out a 2-year-old in a turf stakes sprint when trainer Wesley Ward has one—or more—entered in the same race. So it says something that trainer Kathy Ritvo is making the trip from Florida to do so in Saturday’s $100,000 Tyro Stakes at Monmouth Park, exuding the type of enthusiasm that suggests the veteran trainer may have a good one on her hands. Roman Poet, who won his first and only start by two-and-a- quarter lengths sprinting on the turf at Gulfstream Park on May 21, is among a field of 10 scheduled to go in the 80th edition of the Tyro, the feature on a 14-race card. The group includes a pair of Ward-trainees (the only two fillies in the field): first-time starter Her World and Chi Town Lady, who was scratched from last Sun- day’s Colleen Stakes at five furlongs on the grass, a race won by stablemate Miss Alacrity in impressive fashion. But Ritvo’s confidence in her horse remains unshaken. Monmouth/BILL DENVER EQUIPHOTO “This horse is so talented,” Ritvo said. “He ran great the first Ritvo, Gulfstream Park-based, has also made the trip north for the time and he has continued to train well. We gave him time after his Tyro. She said the last time she remembers being at Monmouth Park first race and we thought this would be a good spot to run. He has was when Florida-bred Mucho Macho Man, the 2013 Breeders’ Cup consistently worked really well. Classic (G1) winner, broke his maiden at the track on Sept. 19, 2010. “He’s ready and I think this is a good spot. We’re ready to go.” “It’s been a while. Too long,” she said. Roman Poet will actually be making his first start under Ritvo’s The Tyro field includes horses from a pair of Hall of Fame trainers. care, since he was a private purchase following his debut. Ritvo’s long- Jerry Hollendorfer will send out Forty Stripes while Steve Asmussen time owner Dean Reeves (Reeves Thoroughbred Racing) bought the has Vodka N Water entered. Ward’s fillies add intrigue to the group. colt with the original owners, Soldi Stable, retaining a share. “At this stage, they’re all horses you have to be concerned about. The dazzling debut inspired the purchase. These are 2-year-olds on the turf,” Ritvo said. “It’s going to depend “If you saw this horse race the first time it’s hard to find a knock on the break and how the race sets up. There are a couple of nice on him,” said Ritvo. “He’s game, game, game. He got dead-stopped, horses in the race and Wesley Ward always has nice ones for these got himself back together and went around everyone.