Magic Mark returns quickly for American Flag
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
CYPRESS, Calif. – Two weeks after he won for the fourth time this year, Magic Mark will make his stakes debut in Friday’s $75,000 American Flag Stakes at Los Alamitos.
The turnaround is faster than the style typically used by trainer Ron Ellis, but the opportunity is too good to pass, he said.
“He’s doing really well,” Ellis said of Magic Mark. “This type of race doesn’t come around very often. I do want to roll the dice.”
Judging from Magic Mark’s form this year, the race is worth the risk.
Magic Mark’s wins this year are a maiden race for California-breds in January at Santa Anita, an optional claimer for statebreds in February, and consecutive optional claiming races against open company on April 25 and June 19.
In March, Magic Mark finished seventh in an optional claimer, a loss that taught Ellis and jockey Joe Talamo a lesson on how the gelding wants to race.
“The only time he ran poorly, he got in behind horses and didn’t like the dirt in his face,” Ellis said. “He wants to be close.”
Magic Mark, 4, has won his last two starts by attending the pace and taking the lead in early stretch. The American Flag Stakes is run over 1 1/16 miles, and equals the longest race of Magic Mark’s career.
Magic Mark is part of a field of seven that includes Old Time Hockey, a stakes winner on turf at Tampa Bay Downs in April; the improving War Academy, trained by Bob Baffert; and Sky Kingdom, another Baffert runner who has not raced since last August.
Handsome Mike, second in the Grade 3 Precisionist Stakes at Santa Anita on May 3, starts for trainer Doug O’Neill. Handsome Mike is winless in 11 starts since the Grade 3 Commonwealth Stakes at Keeneland in April 2013.
War Academy was second in an optional claimer over six furlongs at Santa Anita in March, and returned to score a convincing win in an optional claimer over seven furlongs on June 15.
As a 3-year-old in 2013. War Academy won an optional claimer over 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita but was pulled up as the 9-5 favorite in the Arkansas Derby and did not start again last year.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 3 War Academy. Trainer Bob Baffert is 6 for 12 with a $2.71 ROI over the past year stretching horses from sprints to routes on dirt, coming off a win.Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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“I think it should be a good spot for him,” Baffert said. “He’s only been around two turns once. He’s trained well.”
Baffert considers the American Flag to be a prep for stakes at Del Mar for Sky Kingdom and War Academy. Sky Kingdom will be considered for the $100,000 Cougar II Handicap over 1 1/2 miles on July 25 and the $1 million Pacific Classic on Aug. 24 if he runs well on Friday.