Magical Ways gets easier company to finally clear condition

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Magical Ways has run into salty customers when attempting to clear the second-level allowance condition. In two of his last three dirt starts at the level, he has run into the likes of Mama’s Gold and Phileas Fogg, two recent stakes winners who are in career-best form.

Sunday, when Magical Ways makes another attempt to clear this condition at Aqueduct, he will face a solid group, but perhaps no budding stakes stars in a field of 11. The race, which also carries an optional $62,500 claiming condition, goes as the final heat on an eight-race card.

Magical Ways, a son of Maclean’s Music, finished second to Mama’s Gold when going 1 1/8 miles in this condition on Dec. 12. Magical Ways chased from second the pacesetting Mama’s Gold, who was coming off a 4 1/4-length victory in the Empire Classic and who posted back-to-back triple digit Beyer Speed Figures.

In August, Magical Ways finished a well-beaten fourth behind Phileas Fogg, who has since come back to win his next two starts, including the Queens County by eight lengths. In between, Magical Ways was second to next-out winner Filoki’s Flight before twice running creditably on turf.

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“When I claimed him, he was a first-time gelding and I think that horse improved a lot as a gelding,” trainer Rudy Rodriguez said. “He’s a pretty solid horse to be around. We’re lucky to have him for sure. He’s ready to run. He always tries.”

Magical Ways is cutting back to a one-turn mile, a configuration at which he has won three times.

Rodriguez also sends out Seeking Unity, who is coming out of a runner-up finish behind stablemate Bank Frenzy in this same condition on Nov. 23. Bank Frenzy came back to win the Alex M. Robb Stakes last month.

“He’s doing very good and he’s better at a mile,” Rodriguez said. “They’re both coming to this race the right way.”

Trainer Linda Rice also has two in this race in Treaty Obligation and Yo Daddy. Rice claimed Treaty Obligation for $50,000 off Chad Brown in August and has won two straight races with the 5-year-old gelding by Maclean’s Music.

“He seems to love the flat mile. He’s been a good claim,” Rice said. “He definitely needs some pace.”

Yo Daddy finished third, 3 1/2 lengths behind Magical Ways when those two were behind Mama’s Gold. He did win a first-level allowance race going one mile at Saratoga.

Victory Way, trained by Bill Mott, came off a 15-month layoff with a runner-up performance behind the multiple restricted stakes winner El Grande O going 6 1/2 furlongs on Dec. 6. Back in June 2023, he won a first-level allowance race going one mile at Belmont Park.

Expected Value, away since an allowance win here in March, returns as a first-time gelding for trainer Chad Brown. Victory Way and Expected Value finished third and fourth, respectively, a neck apart, ion the Grade 3 Bay Shore in 2023.

Poster likely for Withers

Poster, the nose winner of the Grade 2 Remsen at Aqueduct on Dec. 7, will “most likely” make his next start in the $250,000 Withers Stakes here on Feb. 1, trainer Eoin Harty said.

Poster, who is undefeated in three starts, returned to Turfway Park following the Remsen and has worked three times over the synthetic surface, including a five-furlong move in 1:02.80 on Jan. 3.

“He’s done very well since his race,” Harty said.

Harty said he expressed some concern when he saw Poster in the paddock prior to the Remsen.

“The mile and an eighth was a tough race and he looked a bit light before the race and I thought it might take me a while to get the condition back on him, but he’s done that and more,” Harty said. “I’m just very happy with him.”

Harty also has First Resort, winner of the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club, based at Turfway Park. First Resort worked twice, skipping a move on the weekend of Jan. 4-5.

“I decided he had worked hard the week before. I was going to give him a couple of extra days and then we got slammed with this snowstorm [in Kentucky].”

Harty said races like the Holy Bull at Gulfstream on Feb. 1 or the John Battaglia Memorial on Feb. 22 will be considered for First Resort.

◗ Bank Frenzy, the Alex Robb Stakes winner, worked a half-mile in 53.22 seconds Friday morning at Belmont Park. Trainer Rudy Rodriguez said he’d like to run the horse next in the $150,000 Stymie Stakes, a one-turn mile race here on March 1.

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