GRADE 2 WINNER IRISH MAXIMA HEADLINES INAUGURAL MAGGIE L. WALKER STAKES
Posted on July 13th, 2026
Reputation, winner of the 2025 Tyson Gilpin Stakes at Colonial Downs, seeks another local victory in the $100,000 Maggie L. Walker Stakes on July 18. (credit: Coady Media)
John Servis
NEW KENT, Va. (July 11, 2026) — Irish Three Racing’s multiple graded stakes winner Irish Maxima will begin the second half of her 5-year-old season in the $100,000 Maggie L. Walker Stakes on Saturday, July 18, at Colonial Downs where she will face seven older female rivals going one mile on the dirt.
First post is 12:30 p.m. ET for Saturday’s nine-race card. The inaugural Maggie L. Walker Stakes is slated as Race 8.
With three wins from four starts this year, Irish Maxima was last seen on May 8 when she wired the field in the Grade 2 Ruffian at Aqueduct. Along with her victory in the 2025 Grade 3 Distaff, also at Aqueduct, the John Servis trainee has five stakes titles and more than $756,000 in career earnings. Jockey Nik Juarez has the mount from Post 5.
With three wins from seven career starts, including the 2025 Tyson Gilpin Stakes, Jr Ranch and MyRacehorse’s Reputation will make her 4-year-old bow in the Walker and her first start for trainer George Weaver. Samuel Marin has the call.
A wildcard contender is Gary Barber’s Mo Fox Givin. Graded stakes-placed on turf as a 2-year-old, the now 5-year-old mare trained by Mark Casse has never raced on dirt in 24 career starts, but she possesses formidable back class and more than $500,000 in career earnings. Horacio Karamanos has the mount.
Here is the complete field for the $100,000 Maggie L. Walker from the rail out with jockey and trainer:
- Amalfi Drive (Sofia Vives, Mike Stidham)
- Pink Ruby (Carol Cedeno, Lindsay Schultz)
- Mo Fox Givin (Karamanos, Casse)
- Reputation (Marin, Weaver)
- Irish Maxima (Juarez, Servis)
- Miss Authentic (Jareth Loveberry, Eddie Kenneally)
- Runaway Diva (Sonny Leon, Michelle Hemingway)
- Waveless (Sheldon Russell, Brittany Russell)
