Maxfield ensures outstanding year in North America continues

Maxfield signed off his career in perfect style with victory in the G1 Clark Stakes on Friday, helping Godolphin reach a landmark 20th Graded-race success in the United States this year.

The Street Sense colt has been responsible for four of those victories, taking the G3 Mineshaft Stakes at Fair Grounds in February in addition to dominant displays at Churchill Downs in the G2 Stephen Foster Stakes and G2 Alysheba Stakes.

All 20 of Godolphin’s US Graded wins in 2021 have been achieved by homebreds, with eight G1s including a first Triple Crown race victory through Essential Quality and an unprecedented treble at the Breeders’ Cup with Modern Games, Space Blues and Yibir.

A remarkable season in North America has also produced three further G1 victories in Canada thanks to the exploits of Wild Beauty, Albahr and Walton Street at Woodbine in September.

Santin almost added his name to the list of G1 winners as he came within a neck of capturing the Hollywood Derby on only his third career appearance at Del Mar on Saturday.

Fellow three-year-old colt Cody’s Wish also enjoyed a good weekend as he notched a third straight success at Churchill Downs, while Whole Shebang enhanced his progressive profile on dirt with a third win on his belated seasonal return in Japan.

Winter racing at Oaklawn gets underway this week, with the Arkansas course having grown in significance for Godolphin in recent years. Essential Quality and Mystic Guide both kicked off their 2021 campaigns with Graded victories at the track.