American Pharoah's first stakes winner, Maven, done for the year

American Pharoah’s first stakes-winning offspring is due for some rest before his 3-year-old season.

Trainer Wesley Ward said Saturday at Kentucky Downs that he’s “going to give (Maven) the rest of the year off and target next year.”

The 2-year-old last started July 31 across the Atlantic Ocean at Goodwood, where he ran 10th in the Molecomb Stakes (G3). It was his first loss in three career starts.

“If you watch the race, he was stumbling and stumbling and stumbling," Ward said. Jockey Frankie Dettori reported back to the trainer that "it was kind of like going over speed bumps.”

Maven, son of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, had debuted with a victory on April 19 at Aqueduct, then becoming the Triple Crown winner's first domestic winner. After that, he scratched due to soft turf at Royal Ascot and rerouted to France for Chantilly’s Prix du Bois (G3), a five-furlong turf sprint June 29.

Maven held off a surging Jolie at the wire that day for his first stakes score on what was also a historic day for Coolmore stallion American Pharoah.

For now, the colt is back stateside, stabled at Kentucky Downs.

Given all the travel, “I thought it best to take a step back, give him some time now and look forward to next year," Ward said.

While Maven’s 2-year-old year has likely come to a close, Ward saw another of his freshmen become a stakes winner Saturday in Franklin, Ky.

Filly Cambria beat the boys in the $500,000 Kentucky Downs Juvenile Turf Sprint, edging Mike Maker trainee Chimney Rock for an upset win that paid $18.

Cambria, a daughter of Speightstown, is now 3-for-3 in her young career. She won twice at Presque Isle Downs before starting Saturday at Kentucky Downs. 

The Stonestreet Stables homebred will likely battle the boys again for $1 million on Nov. 1 in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, Ward said.

“I think she’ll have a big, big chance at that race, making one run,” the trainer said.

Ward added that Cambria won’t start again until the Breeders’ Cup.