Aoife's Magic, Uncle Heavy take deep-pocketed restricted stakes

Aoife’s Magic remained unbeaten from four lifetime starts by besting seven others in Wednesday’s $200,000 Miss Behaviour Stakes at Parx Racing.

The Miss Behaviour, for Pennsylvania-bred and -sired 2-year-old fillies, was co-featured along with the $200,000 Wait for It for similarly restricted juveniles. Both races were run at a mile and 70 yards over a good track.

Making her first start around two turns, Aoife’s Magic, the 125-pound highweight, broke quickly under Wilfred Vasquez to set the pace on the clubhouse bend.

Vasquez took a hold of the filly, and Aoife’s Magic relaxed very nicely under confident handling. She controlled reasonable fractions of 25.13 and 50.83 seconds while facing pressure from Mary’s Reward, Lucky Opportunity, and Namora, then spurted away after a six-furlong clocking of 1:17.95.

Aoife’s Magic switched leads in upper stretch, something she hadn’t done in her previous starts, and that extra energy boost propelled her to the wire three lengths ahead of Mary’s Reward.

It was another three-quarters of a length back to Noisy On the Bay, who steadied between horses entering the backstretch. She was followed by Namora, Maria Says So, Merrychill, Lucky Opportunity, and Betsy Is the Gal. Flamingo Way was scratched.

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Aoife’s Magic completed the distance in 1:51.38 over the sealed track and returned $3.40 as the betting favorite.

Trained by David Dotolo, Aoife’s Magic is a daughter of Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Smarty Jones. Bred by Mohns Hill Farm, she was purchased for $16,000 as a yearling by A and J Stable.

Aoife’s Magic hinted at serious ability when winning her career debut by 10 3/4 lengths against statebred maiden special weights at Parx on Sept. 11.

Dotolo wheeled her back in 12 days, and the filly validated his confidence by capturing the $150,000 Imply Stakes on the Pennsylvania Derby undercard.

In her final start before the Miss Behaviour, Aoife’s Magic handled open first-level allowance rivals by 4 1/4 lengths with a career-best 64 Beyer Speed Figure.

A winner at distance ranging between 5 1/2 furlongs and a mile and 70 yards, Aoife’s Magic has earned $261,600.

Wait for It Stakes

No one was more surprised than trainer Butch Reid after Uncle Heavy broke poorly in last month’s Pennsylvania Nursery.

“He was always a good gate horse,” Reid told Daily Racing Form earlier this week. “He shocked me as much as everyone else. We’ve schooled him since then, and he’s never showed it again.”

Uncle Heavy ($4.60) didn’t break the best in the Wait for It, but it was certainly an improvement, and he settled four wide at the back as Blameitonmymomma carved out fractions of 24.42 and 49.65 seconds while pressured by Notice of Action.

Notice of Action, ridden confidently by Andy Hernandez, put Blameitonmymomma in the rearview mirror entering the second turn, and opened a commanding lead after six furlongs in 1:16.30. But Uncle Heavy was just getting started.

Jockey Mychel Sanchez angled Uncle Heavy inside Notice of Action at the three-sixteenths pole, and they forged by to prevail by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:48.68

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Addyson’s Dream finished third, 4 1/4 lengths behind Notice of Action. Carcharoth, Love Shaq, Socially Awkward, Standpoint, Ridley Park, and Blameitonmymomma completed the order of finish. Neon Deion and Zona de Amigos were scratched.

Bred by Barbara Reid and owned by Milam Racing Stables, Uncle Heavy is by Social Inclusion. A debut winner against open maiden special weight company going six furlongs on Oct. 23, Uncle Heavy was compromised by his terrible start and a subsequent wide trip when fifth as the beaten favorite in the Pennsylvania Nursery.

He's earned $156,080 in his three starts.

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