Godolphin duo key to betting Matt Winn trifecta

Though a dozen 3-year-olds are slated to contest Saturday’s $150,000 Matt Winn (G3) at Churchill Downs, when the gates open in this Road to the Kentucky Derby prep event, all eyes will be focused on a pair of promising sophomores from the Godolphin stable.

Held over 1 1/16 miles, the Matt Winn serves as the penultimate leg of a Saturday all-stakes Pick 5 — with a $500,000 guaranteed pool — a betting opportunity fans of multi-race wagers won’t want to miss.

The favored half of the Godolphin duo, at least from the perspective of pre-race hype, is #10 Maxfield.

A regally bred son of Street Sense, out of a Bernardini mare, Maxfield went undefeated in two starts as a juvenile. He broke his maiden going a mile at Churchill Downs, then demolished a deep field in the 1 1/16-mile Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland. The sweeping rally Maxfield unleashed on the far turn was breathtaking, and his 5 1/2-length margin of victory was a testament to his talent.

But Maxfield was subsequently sidelined by an ankle chip, which prompted surgery and time off over the winter. He has since posted a series of sharp workouts at Keeneland, but he’ll be returning from a 7 1/2-month layoff in the Matt Winn.

He will also face a field without a ton of speed. His reputation will ensure he starts at a short price, but I’m not convinced Maxfield is unbeatable in his first run of the season.

That’s where Maxfield’s Godolphin stablemate, #1 Mystic Guide, enters the equation.

Produced by the five-time Grade 1-winning mare Music Note, this son of Ghostzapper made a great impression when he cruised to victory by five lengths in a 1 1/16-mile maiden race at Fair Grounds. After he rated a few lengths off the early pace, Mystic Guide seized command on the turn and sprinted the final five-sixteenths of a mile in about 30 seconds, which demonstrates a powerful turn of foot and gives the impression he was just getting started.

If Maxfield falters off the layoff, Mystic Guide — with a world of potential on the horizon — can salvage the day for Godolphin racing.

Let’s key them both in the trifecta and spread deep for the remaining slot, with undefeated allowance winner #2 Pneumatic, Louisiana Derby (G2) veterans #6 Ny Traffic and #12 Major Fed, and late-running longshots #8 Crypto Cash and #9 Shake Some Action.

$2 trifecta: 1,10 with 1,10 with 2,6,8,9,12 ($20)
$2 trifecta: 1,10 with 2,6,12 with 1,10 ($12)

Good luck!