Breeders' Cup Turf: Point of Entry, Magician look to fire fresh

Saturday’s $3 million Breeders’ Cup Turf will be the first race for Magician and Point of Entry since they ran in major stakes in June. Despite their layoffs, they have leading chances to win the richest turf race in the United States.

Point of Entry, second in the 2012 BC Turf, was found to have a leg injury after a win in the Grade 1 Manhattan Handicap at Belmont Park on June 8. Point of Entry resumed serious training at the end of August and convinced trainer Shug McGaughey through September and October that he was ready for the BC Turf.

“We started 30-70,” he said of the chances of making the race. “Then, we were 50-50, then 70-30, and now we’re here. Every work he’s gotten better and better. All indications are he’ll run a good one.”

Magician, trained in Ireland by Aidan O’Brien, won the Group 1 Irish 2000 Guineas in late May but was last of nine in the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot on June 18. He has not raced since.

“He won a strongly run Irish 2000 Guineas on firm ground,” O’Brien said at Santa Anita on Wednesday. “He had a setback at home after that, and I should have left him at home and not run him at Royal Ascot.”

[BREEDERS’ CUP 2013: Fields with DRF odds and comments]

Magician is a firm-ground horse and will get that surface Saturday. When the Ascot course was labeled “soft” for the Champion Stakes on Oct. 19, Magician was withdrawn from consideration for that race. O’Brien said the Breeders’ Cup became the focus for Magician.

Magician was pre-entered for the BC Mile and the BC Turf, with the longer race selected. Ryan Moore rides the 3-year-old Magician, who has yet to start against older horses.

“The plan was to always come here for the mile or mile and a half,” O’Brien said. “He won at a mile and a quarter at Chester, and Ryan thought he’d get a mile and half. He’ll get the firm ground.”