LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Trainer Phil D'Amato knew he was getting a nice horse when Maximum Bourbon walked into his barn less than six weeks ago, after being purchased in a digital auction.
Just how good?
"Did we think he was going to do this? I don't know," D'Amato said after Maximum Bourbon, in his first start for the barn and also his stakes debut, posted a 5 3/4-length victory in the $200,000 St. Matthews Overnight Stakes, a sprint for older horses who have not won a graded stakes in 2025 or 2026, on Thursday at Churchill Downs.
Maximum Bourbon ($3.92) began his career with Bourbon Lane Stable and trainer Brendan Walsh, but was claimed for $50,000 out of his 7 1/2-length debut win last November at Churchill Downs, for trainer Joe Sharp on behalf of Larry Romero. Maximum Bourbon finished fifth on Tapeta at Turfway Park when trying winners for the first time. Sharp took him to New Orleans for the winter, and the 4-year-old gelding responded with back-to-back wins against allowance-level company. In a March 13 allowance/optional-claiming race, he then finished a game second by 1 1/2 lengths to the stakes-seasoned Built, who broke the Fair Grounds track record.
Off that performance, Romero entered Maximum Bourbon in a Fasig-Tipton digital sale to capitalize on his current form. The gelding brought a sale-topping $400,000 in the sale that closed March 24 from Agave Racing Stable and partners Rockin Robin Racing Stables and Evan Trommer, and shipped to D'Amato at Oaklawn Park.
"[Sharp] gave us a horse in really good shape," D'Amato said. "We just kind of put him in our program, and he went through his paces and did everything really professional."
Maximum Bourbon, who had Flavien Prat in the irons Thursday, sat in second and on the hip of Concrete Glory, who broke from the rail, with Built just outside of them. Despite the pressure, Concrete Glory ticked off an opening quarter of 23.08 seconds, and appeared to have more in hand even as the tempo quickened around the turn. Maximum Bourbon and Built ate into the leader's margin, and the three were heads apart at the quarter pole. But Maximum Bourbon poured it on down the lane, driving clear by more than two lengths approaching midstretch, and continuing to widen to the wire.
The time for the six furlongs on the fast track was 1:08.81.
Bourbon Bash, who had been fifth after the opening quarter, rallied to edge Built by half a length for second. After Built, it was 4 1/4 lengths to a fading Concrete Glory in fourth. Bilal, Lofty Adjucator, Air Invasion, and Back Em Up rounded out the order of finish. Be You, who was cross-entered in Saturday's Knicks Go Overnight Stakes, was scratched to await that spot, while Wendelssohn was scratched in favor of that day's Grade 2 Twin Spires Turf Sprint. Jack's Promise was listed as a stakes scratch.
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