Poof Its Magic tops Regret Stakes

The first stakes race of the 2017 meet at Hazel Park will take place Friday, with Michigan-bred 3-year-old fillies take center stage in the $20,000 Regret Stakes.

A field of six was drawn for the six-furlong race, including last year’s Michigan-bred juvenile filly of the year Poof Its Magic.

The Zulu Magic filly enters the Regret off a June 17 statebred allowance win at Hazel Park, where she staged a late rally to win by a nose. It was a six-furlong race, making Poof Its Magic the field’s only winner at Friday’s distance.

Poof Its Magic’s last start marked a sharp turnaround from her 2017 debut, where she finished a non-threatening fifth in a 5 ½-furlong Hazel Park allowance on May 26. Jenny Barbeau, the filly’s owner and breeder, said the filly might have had some rust to knock off following a winter layoff.

“I think she just needed a start to get her head back in the game,” Barbeau said. “She is definitely ready. She came back from that last race just a bouncing, she was so proud of herself.”

Reid T. Gross trains Poof Its Magic for Barbeau. Ricardo Barrios retains the mount after piloting her for the first time in the filly’s most recent win.

“He comes and rides her in the morning so he knows her ins and outs, and how much horse he has, and when to use it,” Barbeau said.

A frequent rival to Poof Its Magic has been Decipher, who has raced at Hazel Park three times in her 10 career starts, and finished second each time. Two of those runner-up efforts have come to Poof Its Magic, including her most recent allowance effort.

The daughter of Zanjero is the most experienced and well-traveled filly in the field, having raced in Kentucky, West Virginia, and Ohio between stops in Michigan. She broke her maiden last July at Mountaineer to notch her only victory so far.

:: Limited-Time Offer: Get 5 classic card PPs for just $10! Offer ends Friday, June 30

Trainer James Jackson will give apprentice Melissa Zajac the leg up aboard Decipher for owner/breeder Elkhorn Oaks.

Also entered in the Regret is Grab the Loot, who finished second in last year’s 2-year-old fillies division of the Michigan Sire Stakes.

A daughter of Gun Power, Grab the Loot last finished third in a six-furlong maiden special weight on June 16 at Hazel Park. She has finished in the money in three of four starts.

Angel Stanley picks up the mount aboard Grab the Loot for owner Volar Corporation and trainer Felicia Campbell.