Magna Victor became the first international winner for his red-hot freshman sire, Maxfield, when he rolled to a 10-length victory over a dozen rivals at Hanshin Racecourse in Japan on Saturday, Sept. 6.
Magna Victor, a $1 million purchase at the 2025 Ocala Breeder’s Sales March sale of 2-year-olds in training, was making his career debut for owner Sanshisuimei Co. Ltd. in the seven-furlong dirt contest. With Yuga Kawada in the irons, Magna Victor was not the quickest away, but he soon recovered and was in front after the first furlong.
The handsome bay colt galloped along under a light hold through the turn, and when his rider gave him a bit of rein in the upper stretch, Magna Victor took off, quickly speeding away from the rest of the field while under a hand-ride.
The victory tabbed the colt as a ‘TDN Rising Star’ as a result of the effort.
Magna Victor is the 11th winner for his freshman sire and was a $75,000 Keeneland September yearling before blossoming into a $1 million OBS March juvenile to top the opening session of that auction. He was purchased at the OBS March sale by his current trainer, Mitsu Nakauchida.
Magna Victor was bred in Kentucky by War Horse Place LLC and is out of the multiple Stakes-winning and Graded Stakes-placed mare, Eyeinthesky (Sky Mesa). She was purchased by War Horse Place for $300,000 in foal to War of Will at the 2021 Keeneland November sale. Eyeinthesky produced a colt by Candy Ride this year and was bred back to Maxfield for 2026.
Maxfield is the sire of 11 individual winners so far from his first crop. Just a few of those winners include Max Ciao, winner of the I’m Smokin Stakes at Del Mar; Saratoga debut winner and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Five Bars, who is targeting either the G1 Darley Alcibiades or the G1 Frizette for her next start; Lilies N Paradise, debut winner at Churchill Downs (and now Stakes-placed at Delaware Park) and Just Asap, a seven-length debut winner at Ellis Park (and now Stakes-placed at Monmouth Park).
