Fair Grounds: Recent purchase Touch Magic gets up to win Silverbulletday

Lou Hodges Jr.

Touch Magic gets up to win the Silverbulletday under jockey James Graham.

The Coteau Grove Farm of Louisianans Keith and Ginger Myers privately purchased Touch Magic after her second-place finish in the Delta Princess Stakes on Nov. 17. Already, the filly looks like a good buy.

Closing steadily along the inside while getting an ideal journey under James Graham, Touch Magic wore down Gal About Town to win the $125,000 Silverbulletday Stakes in her first start for Coteau Grove and trainer Patrick Devereux. Smitten, who raced last behind a moderate pace at the half-mile pole, rallied encouragingly on the far outside to get third in her first start outside maiden ranks.

Touch Magic made her first three starts – including a $40,000 maiden-claiming debut –at Calder before shipping with trainer Antonio Sano to the Delta Princess, where she was beaten a half-length. The Silverbulletday, over one mile and 70 yards, was the longest race of Touch Magic’s career, and she got the trip just a little better than runner-up Gal About Town, who capped her 2-year-old season with a runner-up placing in the Golden Rod at Churchill.

Graham kept Touch Magic in a stalking position along the rail for most of the race, coming two wide to go around tiring pacesetter Afrodita at the head of the homestretch. By then, Gal About Town had taken over the lead, but Touch Magic caught her stride for stride in the final furlong to post a narrow win. Smitten passed most of the field while widest on the far turn, and still was gaining on the top two in a solid third-place finish.

Touch Magic paid $9 and was timed in a moderate 1:45 over a fast track.