Living Magic becomes a dual stakes winner in the Chelsey Flower (Chelsea Durand)
By Keith McCalmont – NYRA Press Office
OZONE PARK, N.Y.— HnR Nothhaft Horse Racing’s Kentucky homebred Living Magic secured her second career stakes score, posting a 16-1 upset in Friday’s $135,000 Chelsey Flower, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for juvenile fillies, at Belmont at the Big A.
Trained by Phil Schoenthal and piloted by Ruben Silvera, the Justify chestnut stalked the early foot of Red Burgundy from second position through splits of 23.88 seconds, 49.42 and 1:13.92 over the firm footing with 2-1 mutuel favorite Ozara saving ground in third under Dylan Davis.
Ozara advanced to the lead at the stretch call as Red Burgundy retreated, but a determined Living Magic dug in gamely and took command inside the final 70 yards en route to a 1 1/4-length score in a final time of 1:43.65. It was a further 1 1/2-lengths back to Gold Lightning in third with Latte Lizzie, Awesome Czech, Flowers for Me, Cynane, Red Burgundy, Tricky Temper and Gavea rounding out the order of finish. Also eligible entrants Takemetothebeach, Being Betty and Day Away were scratched.
Silvera said Living Magic responded well in her first start beyond 6 1/2-furlongs.
“It was her first time at the distance, so I tried to rate and save for the end. She broke good, so I sat behind the [pace],” Silvera said. “I waited for Dylan – he was the favorite in the race. She [Ozara] tried to fight, but she [Living Magic] came back again to win the fight.”
Living Magic made her first two starts on dirt, graduating on debut in May at Parx and following with a third-place effort in the Astoria at Belmont Park. She shipped to Woodbine Racetrack for her next two starts, capturing the My Dear in July over Tapeta before finishing off-the-board in the Catch A Glimpse in her lone prior turf start. Living Magic entered from a close runner-up effort on synthetic in the Presque Isle Debutante on September 25.
Silvera said Living Magic, out of the multiple graded stakes-winning Footstepsinthesand mare Living The Life, relished the added ground.
“After the wire she galloped out [well]. I was surprised because it was her first time at the distance and she ran so big today,” Silvera said.
The Christophe Clement-trained Ozara, by Lope de Vega, graduated on debut in August at Saratoga in a key race that featured next-out maiden winners Weigh the Risks and It’s Hot in Here. She arrived from an even fourth-place effort in the Grade 1 Natalma on September 16 at Woodbine.
Davis said Ozara took time to relax into the race.
“She broke well. She was a little keen starting, but she settled down,” Davis said. “We had a perfect trip coming there along the inside and it felt like she was going to keep on going with it, but she kind of labored on that left lead. She didn’t want to switch for me. Then that horse [Living Magic] came closing back on the outside. She put a game effort out there. She’s only run three times, so she’s still young. She put in a good effort out there.”
Living Magic banked $74,250 in victory and improved her record to 6-3-1-1. She returned $35.80 for a $2 win bet.
Live racing resumes Saturday at Belmont at the Big A with an 11-race card featuring the Grade 2, $250,000 Mother Goose in Race 8, the $135,000 Awad in Race 9, and the Grade 2, $300,000 Forty Niner in Race 10. First post is 12:05 p.m. Eastern.
