Maxios Romps in Prix du Moulin
Description:
Maxios upstaged favorite Olympic Glory in the Qatar Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (Fr-I) Sept. 16 at Longchamp, romping home by five lengths in his second group l victory of 2013.
Olympic Glory, the 9-10 choice and a hopeful for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) Nov. 2 at Santa Anita Park, was never a threat to winner. Entering off a nose defeat by Moonlight Cloud in the Prix Haras du Fresnay-le-Buffard Jacques Le Marios (Fr-I) Aug. 11, the Choisir colt was last halfway through the 1,600-meter (about one-mile) race, but took up the running in the final furlong under strong urging from Frankie Dettori to snatch second from Anodin in the final strides.
Maxios tracked Sage Melody from second as that rival took control out of the gate and opened a sizeable lead. Stephane Pasquier was ready to capitalize when Sage Melody weakened in the final furlong and Maxios took charge for the easy win.
Maxios, at 3-1 odds with Racing Post, was timed in 1:40.73 on soft turf.
A homebred 5-year-old Monsun horse trained by Jonathan Peace for the Niarchos family, Maxios was making his first start since a sixth-place finish to Al Kazeem in the Prince of Wales's Stakes (Eng-I) June 19 at Royal Ascot. Prior to that, he won the Prix d'Ispahan (Fr-I) in May at Longchamp.
Gale Force Ten, winner of the Jersey Stakes (Eng-III) at Royal Ascot, finished fourth, followed by Poule d'Essai des Poulains (Fr-I, French Two Thousand Guineas) winner Style Vendome, and Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (Fr-I, French One Thousand Guineas) winner Flotilla. Her pacemaker Sage Melody was eased in a last-place finish in the seven-horse field.
Maxios is out of the unraced Nureyev mare Moonlight's Box, making him a half brother to European champion 3-year-old colt Bago. His second dam is group I winner Coup de Genie, a full sister to French group I winner and sire Machiavellian and a half sister to French group I winner and sire Exit to Nowhere. Moonlight's Box is a half sister to four stakes winners, including French group I winner Denebola and U.S. multiple graded stakes winner Snake Mountain.