Chief's Magic heads route off sprint win

CALGARY, Alberta - Chief's Magic, winner of the six-furlong President's on May 5 in his local debut, takes the next step on the road to the June 16 Alberta Derby in Saturday's one-mile Hoofprint on My Heart Handicap at Stampede Park.

Chief's Magic is one of six 3-year-olds in the $50,000 Hoofprint on My Heart. He is the 122-pound highweight off his 3 1/2-length score in the President's, and he drew the outside post with rider Stephan Heiler back aboard.

Chief's Magic won the President's in wire-to-wire fashion, finishing in a way that suggested he might be looking for more ground. His California form indicates that a mile is well within his grasp, and the tight turns of the five-furlong Stampede oval did not present a problem in his sprint win.

Footprint and Sin Toro, second and third to Chief's Magic last time, are back to try again.

Footprint and Sin Toro were making their 2007 debuts in the President's, partly because an allowance prep failed to fill, and they ran into a dead-fit Chief's Magic, who had several recent races under his belt.

Footprint ran well from post 10 in the crowded field, coming on again to regain second after Sin Toro had passed him on the final turn.

Sin Toro made a bold bid at the quarter pole but flattened out, appearing to be a short horse that day.

Trainer Stu Simon made note of this and worked Sin Toro a stout six furlongs in 1:11.40 here May 16.

Sin Toro is expected to improve second time out with Quincy Welch at the controls.