Debut win points out Victor's Magic

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - It is difficult to separate what appears to be a very talented field of 2-year-old colts and geldings running in the $50,000 River Rock Resort Stakes at Hastings on Sunday. The six-furlong feature, named after one of the casinos owned by Great Canadian Gaming Corp., the parent company of Hastings, drew 10 horses and goes as the eighth race.

Victor's Magic should attract a lot of support off of his impressive four-length win in his debut over Macondo in a 3 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race on May 16. Macondo came back to cruise to an easy win in his next start, and Victor's Magic has trained exceptionally well since his facile win.

Victor's Magic came back eight days later to work a bullet five furlongs in 59.80 seconds. He hasn't missed a beat since. He also looked very sharp when he easily outworked a stablemate in his final prep last Sunday, a five-furlong move in 1:01.20 with Frank Fuentes aboard.

"He's handled it all pretty well," said trainer Quinton McCabe. "He trains pretty hard but he keeps eating everything we give him. He should be fit enough, and now we'll see if he's good enough."

Fuentes rides Victor's Magic.

Dyna Stroll came from off the pace to win a 3 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race in his debut on May 23. It is significant that Mario Gutierrez rides Dyna Stroll over Cherokee Notion, who is also entered. Both horses come out of the powerful Troy Taylor barn, and Cherokee Notion just missed with Gutierrez aboard in a six-furlong maiden special weight race on June 28. Chad Hoverson picks up the mount on Cherokee Notion.

Newfound Man, trained by Blaine Wright, ships in from Emerald Downs off of an 8 1/2-length win in a 4 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race on May 25. He drew the outside post, however, and his jockey, Richard Hamel, will have to figure out a way to avoid getting hung out to dry on the first turn.

Owner-trainer Juan Olmos has entered Macondo and Huitzilopochtli, and he thinks Huitzilopochtli is the better of the two. Huitzilopochtli won his debut going 3 1/2 furlongs on June 7 and he looked very sharp in his five-furlong tune-up last Sunday.

Hampton Wick, trained by John Snow, figures to move forward in his second start, and he ran well to finish third when he debuted in the same race Cherokee Notion exits. Snow has also entered Storm Above, who won a 3 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race on June 20.