Could MAGICAL MIA Be a Horse of Year Candidate?
The One For Momma Stakes
Grade II
Two Miles on the Good Turf Course
$250,000
Fillies and mares, 3 years old and up
Probably my favorite of all races is the turf marathon. It is the hardest race we have and there are very few horses that are really adept at that grueling travail across the green stuff. We have on of the best in the business here in Delaware this weekend and lots of challengers to her crown. Anything can happen, especially with the weatherman calling for scattered showers so let’s take a look:
1 – ALL BENT UP(IRE) ODDS OWNER WIN% JOCKEY WIN% TOP SPEED EARNINGS RANK 8/1 MIKB 10.7% R.Hall 103 – 5 – 11 – 9 – 5% 101.65 $ 105,375 17
( REFUSE TO BEND (IRE) x SHARPEN UP(GB) x NORTHERN BABY) This three year old gal has continued to improve for trainer and owner MIKB, especially since turning to the longer races earlier this year. Since going the route distance she has finished first or second in all four races. None have been this long but one of her two Stakes wins during that time was on an off track and that may help here. She has Hall in the saddle and that’s no bargain as he’s even worse than his usual mediocre record this year. Hopefully he won’t weight this filly down and she can continue to snap off the nice SPFs she’s been producing at the longer races.
| 2 – PIGS IN SPACE(GB) | ODDS | OWNER | WIN% | JOCKEY | WIN% | TOP SPEED | EARNINGS | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/1 | Simsters4 | 17.8% | T.J.Cox | 194 – 17 – 13 – 21 – 9% | 101.23 | $ 188,488 | 82 |
( KAYF TARA (GB) x SHIRLEY HEIGHTS(GB) x CELESTIAL STORM)) This little four year old mare has really seemed to come into her own the end of this year and is a testament to the patience of trainer Simsters4 and the Evil Empire Stables of Lenny. She won the SUNDAY CELEBRATION Memorial Stakes last time out with her best SPF to date, a 101. They have contracted Cox to hold the reins and he solid if unspectacular in this his sophomore year in the saddle. It doesn’t seem as if she is quite ready to take on a couple of the heavy hitters in this race but if she can continue this improvement she will still win a pile of races in her career.
| 3 – MISTY | ODDS | OWNER | WIN% | JOCKEY | WIN% | TOP SPEED | EARNINGS | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9/2 | Topicount5 | 13.4% | B.Ironside | 795 – 129 – 112 – 103 – 16% | 107.00 | $ 555,050 | 55 |
(STORM CAT x DANZIG x SEEKING THE GOLD out of FLUFFY) Trainer Topicount5 is sending notice to the rest of the field…this five year old mare loves to play in the mud. She has won an amazing six of her nine races on an off track and has been in the money on 10 of 13 on the wet stuff. That certainly makes her a live bet in this field. That being said, she has never shown an affinity for running longer than 10 furlongs and may be a drawback here. She has Ironside in the irons and he is having one of his better years. That’s saying something with 13 years experience. That could help this mare’s pace for the extra real estate.
| 4 – WESTERN PASS | ODDS | OWNER | WIN% | JOCKEY | WIN% | TOP SPEED | EARNINGS | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8/1 | Bomber93 | 14.0% | D.Silver | 705 – 123 – 93 – 98 – 17% | 103.00 | $ 514,949 | 24 |
( PIKEPASS x A.P. INDY x MAJESTIC LIGHT out of A.P.DINNER) This girl has struggled a bit lately and may be just hitting a speed bump that is common among four year olds. She has only run this distance one other time and finished seventh of nine in a GI. Trainer Bomber93 and the TwoOfUs Stables are hoping a bit more maturity will let this girl go the extra distance. They have the magic hands of Silver on the reins and he could help in that regard. She has finished in the money in four of five on off tracks so that may foretell a strong race here. She may be ready to turn it back around.
| 5 – KISS OF BETRAYL(IRE) | ODDS | OWNER | WIN% | JOCKEY | WIN% | TOP SPEED | EARNINGS | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/1 | PM | 15.9% | S.Middleton | 110 – 8 – 7 – 6 – 7% | 101.93 | $ 1,412,828 | 84 |
( ROCK OF GIBRALTAR (IRE) x GONE WEST x EL GRAN SENOR out of HARD ELF) Although this four year old girl is still plenty solid, it appears that she may have hit the downside of her career. That being said, she still won a race earlier this year at two miles on an off track. Owner and trainer PM has seen this regal brown mare finish second in last years Breeders Bowl Distaff and gather nearly a million and a half dollars in her career. They have Middleton in the leather and he too seems to be on the downside of a long career with a big drop in his ITM stats this year.
| 6 – TILT A WHIRL(AUS) | ODDS | OWNER | WIN% | JOCKEY | WIN% | TOP SPEED | EARNINGS | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/1 | LosTheCode | 15.3% | Z.Wylde | 657 – 74 – 76 – 70 – 11% | 103.13 | $ 344,810 | 31 |
( SPINNING WORLD x UNFUWAIN x ELA-MANA-MOU(IRE)) Certainly a lightly raced three year old that just seems to be coming into her own. She has only run seven non maiden races and it is since trainer LosTheCode and the Topicount Stables have moved her to the longer races that she has been more consistent. That being said, she still only has one win during those seven and seems to have a hard time beating that one remaining horse in a race. She has eight seconds in her sixteen starts and that is one of the reasons it took so long to break her maiden. Hopefully jockey Wylde can use his characteristic guidance to bring her home. It appears that the best that she can hope for is second place though.
| 7 – BOLD BULLET(FL) | ODDS | OWNER | WIN% | JOCKEY | WIN% | TOP SPEED | EARNINGS | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15/1 | Vicki | 14.3% | F.Evers | 117 – 11 – 6 – 12 – 9% | 95.78 | $ 139,728 | 70 |
( RED BULLET x WITH APPROVAL x BOLD RUCKUS out of WITH HONOURS) Five back this pretty three year old roan filly was running in claimers. Now she comes in on a two race win streak and the last race was a Stakes run at two miles on good turf. Hmmmm, what an upset that would be and yet trainer Vicki and the Twoofus Stables have to believe that it could happen. This filly seems to be starting to put it all together and the trainers patience may be finally starting to pay dividends. Evers is in the leather and is having a solid year. It would be quite a feather in his cap to bring this girl home on the board. It could happen.
| 8 – MAGICAL MIA(IRE) | ODDS | OWNER | WIN% | JOCKEY | WIN% | TOP SPEED | EARNINGS | RANK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4/5 | Boots | 23.6% | H.Ross | 849 – 180 – 165 – 126 – 21% | 115.25 | $ 2,795,288 | 115 |
( GIANT’S CAUSEWAY (IRE) x SADLER’S WELLS x BUCKPASSER out of SHAWNAE’S DREAM) Wow, talk about “Magical”! Since July of last year, this beautifully bred five year old has run off ten wins in her fourteen races with three seconds and a third. She tops that off with consecutive victories in the World Cup and Breeders Bowl in her last two giving her five Graded wins. Trainer and owner Boots must have permanent smile when this girl runs. If she has one chink in her mighty armor though, it is that the one time during that year that she ran on an off track, it may have been her worst race although she finished second. Ross is in the saddle and has also had a great run this year with a plus 20% win rate and plus 55% ITM. I don’t see anyone coming close to this girl here and she should continue her “Magic”.
Morning Line = 8-3-1-2-4
Paz Picks = 8-3-7-4
I would love to say that this looks like a close and exciting race but it looks to me like it maps out to one and everyone else. I have WESTERN PASS to finish fourth mostly because of her appreciation for off tracks. In a bit of an upset, I like BOLD BULLET to hit the board here. She may have enough to finish in the top three and could just be hitting her stride. MISTY could be the wild card here but I just don’t think she will like to go this far. She does however, love the wet stuff and could surprise. I don’t see anyone beating MAGICAL MIA who will pass everyone in the stretch and claim the win. She is a superstar and probably ought to be in contention for Horse of the Year votes with a win here.
Good luck to all runners!
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