My Magician, Spotted Heart square off in first-level optional claimer

The first Sunday card of the Laurel Park meet will rematch the Maryland Million Lassie upsetter My Magician against Spotted Heart, the longshot winner of the Maryland Juvenile Filly Championship, in a first-level optional-claiming race at six furlongs.

My Magician upset the $102,000 Lassie at 28-1. She came back to finish seventh in the $125,000 Filly Championship, which Spotted Heart won at 23-1.

The Filly Championship was a roughly run race. My Magician had to check sharply and dropped back to last to avoid a horse who broke down nearing the far turn. She did well to finish seventh in the 11-horse field, beaten only four lengths. She has worked twice since then for trainer Mike Trombetta.

Spotted Heart, trained by Mark Shuman, also had some trouble in the seven-furlong race. She came into the stretch five wide while between horses and had to go around a horse who briefly drifted in front of her in upper stretch. Spotted Heart finished well to win by 1 1/4 lengths and was pulling away at the wire.

Two others to watch in this sprint are the debut winner Streamsong and Sara Rocks, who finished second at this level last time out.

Streamsong broke a step slowly in her debut, then pulled away from the pacesetting Preseli’s Pulpit in the stretch. Preseli’s Pulpit came back Thursday to finish third in a maiden race.

It is noteworthy that jockey Sheldon Russell, who won the Filly Championship on Spotted Heart, stays on Streamsong for trainer Timothy Keefe.

Sara Rocks, trained by Thomas Iannotti IV, finished second, beaten 4 1/2 lengths by Lindisfarne, last out. Lindisfarne won the $100,000 Marshua Stakes by 1 1/2 lengths Thursday.