Uxmal

The peak of his career so far came at Ascot on 22 June 2024, when he won a Class 2 race — one of the top races in Britain — in what turned out to be the Queen Alexandra Stakes, the longest Flat race run in the country. His jockey's post-race comments painted the picture vividly: Uxmal had been prepped carefully, handled the conditions with ease, and when he hit the front, the jockey could genuinely hear the roar of the Ascot crowd. There is something special about a horse relaxed enough in that moment to let his rider take it all in.

What happened next is the reason his recent form carries an asterisk. After that Ascot win, O'Brien confirmed the horse picked up a small injury in the race and didn't run again for the rest of 2024. His three most recent runs — listed as a 3rd, a 5th, and a 7th — suggest he has been finding his rhythm again, working his way back to form. That kind of dip after a long layoff is entirely normal, and the trainer has been clear about the plan: use those runs to rebuild fitness and target the Queen Alexandra again in 2025. It is a race that seems made for him.

Having raced just one day ago, Uxmal is very much in the middle of his campaign right now. O'Brien's yard has sent out 171 winners already this season — a powerhouse operation — and they are clearly managing this horse with a specific destination in mind. If Ascot 2025 comes around and Uxmal lines up in the Queen Alexandra, he will arrive as a horse with a point to prove and form that says he is more than capable of proving it.