Belmont: Fastest Magician connects as longest shot on board in A Gift

ELMONT, N.Y. – Apparently, dirt is the only surface Fastest Magician doesn’t like. Fastest Magician, a handy debut winner on Lingfield’s Polytrack last fall, bounced back from a 20-length defeat on the main track in his U.S. debut to win Sunday’s $60,000 A Gift overnight stakes at Belmont Park as the longest-priced of seven 3-year-olds on the Widener turf.

Now trained by Barclay Tagg, Fastest Magician ($47) trailed after the opening quarter-mile, moved up while saving ground on the turn beneath Jose Lezcano, split horses, and moved back to the inside in the stretch and outfinished 2-5 favorite Longhunter by a length.

Fastest Magician, a half-brother to 2010 Gotham Stakes winner Awesome Act, ran seven furlongs in 1:25.84 over a course labeled yielding.

Longhunter rallied widest from next-to-last and was clear by 1 3/4 lengths over third finisher Batter Up.

In a reprise of the $60,000 Three Coins Up, the first installment of which was rained off to the main track Thursday, second choice Boisterous ($7.80) collared Wishful Tomcat and Grand Rapport in midstretch, and turned back a late run from 8-5 favorite Grassy to win for the fourth time in his last five starts.

Boisterous, a 4-year-old Phipps Stable homebred by Distorted Humor, ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:06.99 seconds on a yielding inner turf course under John Velazquez, and was the fifth meet winner for trainer Shug McGaughey.

Grassy rallied widest from last in the field of six to be a clear second over Kindergarden Kid, as Grand Rapport faded late to wind up fourth.