Magical dominates Pretty Polly Stakes

Magical made her four opponents disappear in the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes on Sunday at The Curragh.

The 5-year-old mare initially was scheduled to be bred to No Nay Never following her 4-year-old season, but trainer Aidan O’Brien and the mare’s owners – Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, and Michael Tabor – had second thoughts, and Magical returned for a 2020 campaign.

What spurred the change of course, O’Brien has said, was surprising early-winter development from Magical, who, indeed, looked like a powerhouse dominating an overmatched quartet from the front end on a rainy afternoon at The Curragh.

Under Seamie Heffernan, Magical dictated the tempo and not for one stride looked in any danger of losing, opening a big lead in upper stretch and coasting to a 4 1/2-length victory.

Cayenne Pepper, a 3-year-old filly getting 12 pounds from her elders, stayed on solidly to finish second, 1 3/4 lengths in front of Fleeting, and likely earn herself a start in the Irish Oaks.

As for Magical, she’s probably bound for the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes in England, avoiding, for the time being, another race against Enable. Magical fought Enable tooth and nail in the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Turf and came within three-quarters of a length of her once last year, but Enable, so far, has owned that matchup.

Magical, though, beats almost everyone else, and her record now stands at 22-10-6-0. She’s a daughter of Galileo and the Pivotal mare Halfway to Heaven, and just maybe she is headed for even greater heights at age 5.

Santiago gets first Group 1 in Irish Derby

Santiago won the Group 2 King Edward Stakes over 1 3/4 miles on June 19 at Royal Ascot and just eight days later captured the Group 1 Irish Derby over 1 1/2 miles on Saturday at The Curragh.

Racing in heavy rain, Santiago and jockey Seamie Heffernan burst between horses about a quarter-mile out, took a clear lead, and just held off Tiger Moth to win by a head.

Trainer Aidan O’Brien not only won his 14th Irish Derby, he sent out the first four finishers, with Dawn Patrol third and Order of Australia fourth.

Santiago, by Authorized out of Wadyhatta, by Cape Cross, won a maiden race from three starts at age 2 before winding up in the King Edward for his 3-year-old debut. Saturday’s 12-furlong race, if anything, was on the short side for Santiago, a natural candidate for the St. Leger Stakes later this year.

Tiger Moth was making just his third start and stakes debut and came roaring down the center of the course to just miss in a promising performance.

Way to Paris continues surge

Way to Paris’s remarkable 7-year-old season continued Sunday when he won his first Group 1 in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud.

Connections for some time attempted to fashion Way to Paris into a staying horse before cutting him back to shorter distances this season, and Way to Paris, out of nowhere, has turned into one of the top older horses in France. He won the Group 2 Grand Prix de Chantilly this spring and most recently missed by a head to top-level 4-year-old Sottsass in the Group 1 Prix Ganay.

Sunday, it was Way to Paris up for a narrow victory over Nagano Gold, who rallied along the rail as Way to Paris, last of five for much of the trip, came with an outside run under Pierre-Charles Boudot. Ziyad was between the top two and a close third, while Old Persian turned in another poor performance in his first start since a Breeders’ Cup Turf dud last fall, finishing a distant last.

Andrea Marcialis trains Way to Paris, a 7-year-old horse by Champs Elysees out of Grey Way, by Cozzene. Owing to a busy schedule during the first few months of the flat-racing season, Way to Paris will get a summer break before tentatively being aimed toward the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in October.

Earlier Sunday at Saint-Cloud, 2019 French 2000 Guineas winner Persian King, second in his 2020 debut, made all the running winning the Group 3 Prix de Muguet. With Boudot riding for trainer Andre Fabre, Persian King relaxed on the lead and kicked clear in the final furlong after Pretreville had narrowed the lead to score by 1 1/2 lengths. Persian King is expected to be pointed to the Group 1 Prix Ganay on July 23.