Maxfield Likely to Make 3-year-old Debut in Matt Winn

Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) winner Maxfield is a "strong possibility" to make his first start as a 3-year-old May 23 in the $150,000 Matt Winn Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs, trainer Brendan Walsh said May 5.

Two-for-two last year, winning a maiden race at Churchill prior to his triumph in the Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland, Maxfield has been breezing steadily over the past month at Keeneland after beginning his training in February at Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida. He worked six furlongs in 1:13 1/5 at Keeneland May 2, his longest workout to date, as he gears up for a return after having a bone chip removed from his right front ankle in November.

Considered one of the top juveniles of 2019, he was scratched from the Nov. 1 TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) at Santa Anita Park by Walsh after showing signs of discomfort in the days before the race.

Walsh, who conditions the Street Sense  colt for owner/breeder Godolphin, said in a text message the 1 1/16-mile Matt Winn "seems like the most likely spot. The timing is good and (our) home court."

Jose Ortiz, aboard for both starts last year, will ride, according to Walsh.

For the first time, the Matt Winn provides qualifying points toward the rescheduled Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) Sept. 5, though on a limited 10-4-2-1 basis to its top four finishers. Prior to this year, it had always been run after the Kentucky Derby's traditional early-May date. Eventual 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner  won it in 2016 after running third in that year's Derby.

Churchill Downs officials plan to add more qualifying races to its series this year as stakes schedules are updated when tracks resume spectatorless racing amid COVID-19.

With 10 points, the colt is currently ranked 33rd on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard, the preference system used by Churchill Downs to determine Derby entry when the race is oversubscribed beyond its 20-horse maximum field size. Nadal leads with 150, and the 20th-ranked horse is Finnick the Fierce with 25.

Maxfield closed at 9-1 odds in the most-recent Kentucky Derby Future Wager that was conducted in early April, not far behind the favorites, the mutuel field (3-1), Charlatan (5-1), and Tiz the Law (5-1).