Maxim Rate scored in the Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes in emphatic style on Sunday (October 25) at Santa Anita. She started second favorite at 12/5 in this race for fillies and mares run over a mile but won with the ease of an odds-on shot in a time of 1 minute 33.85 seconds.
Having tracked the leading quartet she asserted her superiority in the stretch and seemed to be lengthening her stride under Umberto Rispoli when her rivals were tiring and shortening theirs. She finished two and a half lengths clear of the 21/1 shot Zee Drop trained by Philip D’Amato. Doug O’Neill’s Tonahutu (7/1) took third a length further back followed by D’Amato’s more popular trainee, Raymundos Secret. The latter started as the evens favorite ridden by Flavien Prat.
It was a long overdue second graded win for Maxim Rate, an incredibly consistent four-year-old daughter of Exchange Rate. She is trained by Simon Callaghan for Slam Dunk Racing and James Branham. Maxim Rate is unbeaten in her three starts under Rispoli.
The Goldikova was not originally in her diary but Callaghan thought she was working so well that she should have a run. He was right. Her owners were full of praise for him as they had given the ok to be patient and wait for another target in November. it was her most impressive victory to date. It was also her most valuable as the Goldikova has a purse of over $200,000.
Nick Cosato of Slam Dunk Racing is a big fan of Rispoli and Flavien Prat and said he was excited when they managed to book him. He praised Rispoli who was almost apologetic about giving away ground when rounding the final turn as he was three wide. He said that it was not his style but that he was confident that Maxim Rate would handle it as she has the stamina for further.
This filly was last seen taking the runner-up spot in the Rodeo Stakes run over a mile and a quarter at the same track a month ago behind her regular rival, the Tim Yakteen-trained Mucho Unusual. On that day Luis Saez was tasked with riding her.
Maxim Rate deserved to win the Goldikova as she had not achieved a graded win since May 2019 when she beat Richard Baltas’ Lady Prancealot in the Senorita Stakes. That was over a mile on firm ground at Santa Anita too.
Bred by Fred Hertrich and John Fielding in Kentucky out of Catch My Eye, a daughter of Unbridled’s Song, Maxim Rate was purchased for $130,000 by K D Bloodstock as a foal and unsurprisingly achieved almost double that amount as a yearling. She was sold for $235,000 at Keeneland. This filly is both elegant and powerful. She was significantly taller than most of the pack and looked to have the longest stride.
Confidence is running high with her connections and she will continue to be pointed at her long-term target, the Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes run over a mile at Del Mar on November 29.
Fiona Derek is our horse racing expert. She has lived and breathed horses from a young age, having been involved in the horse racing industry both riding out for racehorse trainers and in an amateur training capacity.