Three-year-old Tom’s Magic aced his stakes debut Saturday, slipping up the fence under Jeiron Barbosa to win the $88,000 Black Gold Stake by two lengths at Fair Grounds.
Making his third start in this 1 1/16-mile, age-restricted grass contest, Tom’s Magic raced for the first time since Dec. 22, when he won a Fair Grounds turf maiden over 11 foes while lacking professionalism.
“He’s kind of a raw talent and was kind of green when he broke his maiden here. We gave him some time between races, and it paid off,” said Michael Stidham, who trains Tom’s Magic for CJ Thoroughbreds and Mo Speed Racing.
In the bridle and locked into the pocket behind pacesetters Curahee and Golden Afternoon, Tom’s Magic went around the far turn full of run, with Barbosa just waiting to find a spot. When Golden Afternoon drifted off the fence in upper stretch, Barbosa pounced, and Tom’s Magic quickly collared the leader and drew clear for a convincing win.
Golden Afternoon (8-5) held second by 1 3/4 lengths over 7-5 favorite Chasing Liberty, who stalked the pace and made a wide move around the turn. Tom’s Magic paid $12.20 and was timed in 1:45.73 over a firm course. Tom’s Magic, an Ontario-bred, is by Justify out of Dixie Chicken, by Rahy.
“He’s really coming around and he could be a really nice horse,” Stidham said.
Chaos in Louisiana-bred stakes
After Blue Fire won the Louisiana Broodmare of the Year Flashy Prize Stakes at odds of 4-5 and Highly Wicked thumped seven older fillies and mares at 5-2 in the Red Camelia, chaos broke out in a string of four $100,000 Louisiana-bred stakes on the Fair Grounds card. Allnight Moonlight led home a parade of longshots in the Edward Johnston Memorial and Sippin On Gin scored an upset in the Louisiana Stallion of the Year Star Guitar.
Sippin On Gin, with Axel Concepcion riding for trainer Bret Calhoun and owner-breeder Allied Racing Stable, came up the fence and outfinished Cajun Mitole by 1 1/2 lengths to win the Star Guitar at $52.50. Dapper Moon, who bumped at the start and lost a lot of ground on the far turn, finished third at odds of 3-10. Sippin On Gin is by Mr. Money out of High On Gin by Fury Kapcori. He clocked 1:43.03 for one mile and 70 yards over a fast track in a race restricted to 3-year-olds.
The Johnston, a 1 1/16-mile grass race, turned into a wild affair with a wall of horses spread all across the track. Allnight Moonlight raced widest of all and found more than anyone, surging to the wire under Elio Barrera to win by 1 1/2 lengths. Allnight Moonlight paid $51 and was followed home by 25-1 Good and Stout and 15-1 Blue Cheese. Allnight Moonlight, by Ransom the Moon out of Gingertini, had finished 10th in his lone previous grass race. Sam Breaux, who also sent out third-place finisher Blue Cheese, trains the winner for owner Roger Smith. Allnight Moonlight was timed in 1:45.53.
At $7.60, Highly Wicked, a homebred trained by Sam David for Earl and Keith Hernandez and John Duvieilh, was an easier winner to find in the Red Camelia, where she was 3 3/4 lengths better than pacesetting runner-up Tommie G. Highly Wicked's career earnings rose to over $300,000, making her the fifth-leading earner for 14-year-old stallion Wicked Strong. A 5-year-old out of the Rahy mare Highly Confused, Highly Wicked was timed in 1:39.04 for one mile on turf.
Blue Fire kicked off the Saturday stakes action with a front-running 1 1/4-length victory over Margie’s Intention in the Flashy Prize. She paid $3.80 and ran one mile on dirt in 1:38.22. Steve Asmussen trains Blue Fire for Stonestreet Thoroughbreds, and Florent Geroux guided her to victory.
* The star of the card did not run in a stakes race, as 4-year-old Just a Touch made his first start since last summer in winning a first-level allowance by 10 1/2 lengths. Racing on the lead, Just a Touch impressively pulled away from overmatched first-level allowance horses, and with jockey Florent Geroux barely asking him, he clocked 1:42.23 for 1 1/16 miles, just .22 seconds off the track record set by Olympiad in the 2022 Mineshaft Stakes.
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.