Magic of Reality seeks first U.S. win in turf route
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Before you know it, Graham Motion and Rajiv Maragh will be halfway around the world to team together with dual champion Main Sequence in the $6 million Dubai Sheema Classic on March 28.
First, however, there’s the everyday stuff to attend to.
Motion will give Maragh a leg up on Magic of Reality in the Thursday feature at Gulfstream Park, a $50,000, second-level allowance at 1 3/16 miles on turf. Magic of Reality, a 5-year-old Niarchos family homebred, just missed by a neck in an identical spot here one month ago and figures as the horse to beat in a field of seven older fillies and mares.
Hellenistic, regrouped by Chad Brown since failing to be a factor in her North American debut four months ago, looks like the chief threat in a well-balanced lineup.
First post Thursday is 1 p.m. Eastern. The feature splits the 11-race card as the sixth, which begins the Rainbow 6 sequence (races 6-11). Two starter-allowances (races 7 and 10) serve as secondary features.
KEY CONTENDERS
Magic of Reality (Last 3 Beyers: 83-83-81)
◗ Although winless in her three stateside starts, this daughter of Galileo has fared creditably while well backed in all of them. Well drawn on the hedge, she figures to be saving ground for much of this lengthy trip while Maragh has her poised to strike.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 Magic of Reality. Trainer Graham Motion is 49-3-3-11 with a $0.42 ROI over the past year in turf routes at Gulfstream Park. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Hellenistic (Last 3 Beyers: 71-NA-NA)
◗ This 4-year-old filly has had 16 (count ’em) works at Palm Meadows for Brown since her one-and-out attempt in the Grade 3 Long Island at Aqueduct last November and therefore is eligible to return a brand-new horse.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 7 Hellenistic. Trainer Chad Brown is 20-7-3-3 with a $3.50 ROI over the past two years in turf routes following a trainer switch and a layoff of between 61 and 180 days. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
Bikini Beauty (Last 3 Beyers: 81-75-82)
◗ One of two Christophe Clement trainees (with Courtesan) in here, this late-running filly clearly belongs after finishing a close-up fourth behind Magic of Reality and Tiz Ro in the key Feb. 11 race won by Rubindy.
Tiz Ro (Last 3 Beyers: 83-68-72)
◗ This front-running type figures as the one to catch after playing a major role in the key Feb. 11 race from the opening bell. She’ll have Julien Leparoux trying to dole out that speed once again.
Run of the River (Last 3 Beyers: 83-68-68)
◗ Is it a Gulfstream thing? This Shug McGaughey-trained filly has won twice in as many starts over the local course, including a first-level allowance score Jan. 18. Otherwise, she has put forth mediocre efforts elsewhere.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 3 Courtesan. Trainer Christophe Clement is 16-6-4-3 with a $3.23 ROI over the past five years in turf routes at Gulfstream Park following a layoff of between 61 and 180 days with Joe Bravo aboard. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan