Magg's Choice perfect-trip winner in slop

Magg's Choice benefited from a perfect trip, defeating 10 rivals in the $50,000 Royal North Stakes over a sloppy track at Beulah Park.

Trainer Tim Hamm appeared to be holding a strong hand when the entries were drawn, and that was the case on Saturday afternoon as his entry of Magg's Choice and Cruise Liner ran first and second in the Royal North for 3-year-old Ohio-bred Fillies.

The formerly undefeated Lairds Prize, who went off at 5-2, was a well-beaten third.

Magg's Choice, under Victor Urieta-Moran, sat behind the dueling leaders Lairds Prize and stablemate Cruise Liner through early fractions of 21.75 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 45.29 for the half, before being angled out in the stretch and drawing off for the three-length victory in 1.10.68. The Hamm entry returned $4.