Living Magic could be on front end in paceless Cincinnati Trophy

Turf and synthetic stakes winner Living Magic and consistent dirt stakes performer Sistina Chapel lead an overflow field for the $150,000 Cincinnati Trophy Friday night at Turfway. The one-mile race on Tapeta awards points toward the Kentucky Oaks on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale, and is the local prep for the $300,000 Bourbonette Oaks (50-25-15-10-5) on March 23.

Living Magic, based at Fair Hill with Phil Schoenthal, was a front-running winner of the My Dear last July at Woodbine, at 5 1/2 furlongs on synthetic, one of her several good stakes performances on multiple surfaces. The Justify filly stretched out to 1 1/16 miles on turf for the Chelsey Flower last Oct. 27 at Aqueduct. The result was a 1 1/4-length victory over Ozara – who has since won back-to-back stakes – with a Beyer of 78, tops among the 12 fillies in the main body of Friday’s field.

A minor illness meant the Chelsey Flower was the final start of Living Magic’s juvenile campaign. Looking at the options for turf or synthetic races at this point of the season, Schoenthal elected to ship from Maryland to Kentucky, keeping the filly in a more temperate climate, rather than asking her to adjust to warmer temperatures in Florida or Louisiana.

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“She got a few months off, and she’s been back training pretty steadily, and has had a good series of breezes,” Schoenthal said. “We’re excited to get her back going.”

The main body of this field has a lack of true, committed speed, with most of the key players preferring to sit in a stalking position or make a grinding run. Schoenthal said he will leave the strategy for the versatile Living Magic up to jockey Tyler Conner.

“She’s well drawn to the inside,” Schoenthal said. “I’m not going to give too many instructions to Tyler. She’s got speed, she’ll be forwardly placed. She’s a very rateable horse if he wants to – or, if she catches a flyer and ends up with the lead and nobody else wants it, I’m fine with that, too.”

Sistina Chapel and jockey Julien Leparoux might want a target up front. The filly has most recently been running in the Fair Grounds series of Oaks preps for trainer Kenny McPeek, finishing third behind Alpine Princess in the Untapable Dec. 23, and third to West Omaha in the Silverbulletday Jan. 20.

Dazzlin’ Dictator and Barbratina were 1-2 in a one-mile allowance in January at Turfway. Cozee Rags, fifth in that event, came back to finish second in the 6 1/2-furlong Valdale, a race in which Vicountess was third.

De Regreso was stakes-placed last fall on Gulfstream’s synthetic, but has been well beaten in two starts this year.

Restricted Turfway allowance winner Everland; Turfway maiden winners Figgy and Maxisuperfly; Indiana maiden winner Falabella; and the maiden Stephanieswarrior complete the main field.

The Cincinnati Trophy’s two also-eligibles would play a role if they draw in – particularly since either would add pace pressure. Impel was a 3 1/2-length debut winner going six furlongs at Fair Grounds for Brad Cox over a next-out winner. She earned an 84 Beyer, the best of all the entrants. The filly, who is bred to go longer, is 5-2 on the morning line if she draws in, to Living Magic’s 3-1.

Spice has made all four starts in California for Michael McCarthy. She was most recently third after leading early in a one-mile allowance on the turf behind multiple stakes-placed Mo Fox Givin.

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