BY BROCK SHERIDAN
A winner of four straight earlier this year before two losses in Del Mar stakes, Florida-bred Queen Maxima took over in mid-stretch to win the $201,000 Senator Ken Maddy Stakes (Listed) at the seaside track Friday.
Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Queen Maxima raced in fourth just off the rail down the backstretch as Grade 3-winner Jungle Peace (Ire) set the pace with a :22.32 first quarter mile. Longshot Marian Cross (GB) raced to up challenge Jungle Peace into the turn as Queen Maxima lacked room between horses but Hernandez masterfully kept her two off the rail behind runners around the bend.
Shoot It True, the second choice at 8-5, raced up to join the leaders turning for home as Queen Maxima shifted to the outside, hit her top gear and shot to the front in mid-stretch. She cruised under the wire a length in front in :56.57 on the firm turf. Shoot It True was second with Nay V Belle three-quarters of a length back in third. Florida-bred Great Venezuela, Marian Cross, Omnipontet (Brz) and Jungle Peace completed the order of finish.
Pure Magic, Sunglow (Ire) and Tahini were scratched.
Queen Maxima paid $4.80 to win as the 7-5 favorite.
Trained by Jeff Mullins for Dutch Girl Holdings LLC and Irving Ventures LLC, Queen Maxima has now won seven of 12 career starts with two seconds. She earned $120,000 for winning the Senator Ken Maddy, increasing her career bankroll to $570,460.
Michael Pender as agent bought Queen Maxima for $40,000 out of Sergio Centeno’s Blue River Bloodstock consignment at the 2023 Ocala Breeders’ Sales June Sale of 2-year-olds in training and horses of racing age.
This was the fourth stakes victory of the year for Queen Maxima, who earlier took the $100,000 Wishing Well and Grade 3 Monrovia at Santa Anita and then set the Churchill Downs course record for five-and-a-half furlongs on the turf in the Grade 3 Unbridled Sidney, finishing in 1:01.29 on a good turf.
Queen Maxima is by Bucchero out of Corfu Lady, by Corfu and was bred in Florida by Saul Rosas. Queen Maxima is the only starter from two foals for Corfu Lady.
Queen Maxima was the 73rd Florida-bred winner of an open stakes races in 2025.
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