Tizamagician eager for action in Cougar II
DEL MAR, Calif. – Apparently, Tizamagician could not wait for the start of the Del Mar summer meeting.
Last Tuesday, Tizamagician zoomed through a five-furlong workout in 59.40 seconds at Del Mar, the quickest of the morning for the distance. Sunday, Tizmagician will run here in the Grade 3 Cougar II Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on dirt, the leading race on the third day of the season.
A 4-year-old colt, Tizamagician is in good form, having won the Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup at 1 1/2 miles at Santa Anita on April 18 and finishing second in the Grade 2 Brooklyn Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on June 5 at Belmont Park
The distance of the $100,000 Cougar II Stakes made the race an early meet target for Tizamagician, trainer Richard Mandella said.
“This is my big goal,” Mandella said. “We’ll regroup after this one.”
A win Sunday could lead to a start in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at 1 1/4 miles on Aug. 21, the top race of the Del Mar summer season. First, Tizamagician must beat five rivals in the Cougar II, including Red King, a graded stakes winner on turf; Cupid’s Claws, easy winner of the 2020 Tokyo City Cup last September; and Campaign, winner of the 2019 Cougar II Handicap who was fourth in the Brooklyn.
Tizmagician reared at the start and was beaten 11 1/4 lengths by Lone Rock in the Brooklyn, a thumping that Mandella took in stride.
“The winner was outstanding,” Mandella said.
A winner of 4 of 17 starts, Tizamagician has won 2 of 5 starts this year. He was fifth in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap in March, beaten four lengths by the winner, Idol. Tizamagician is owned by Spendthrift Farm and the Myracehorse.com syndicate.
Sunday, Flavien Prat will ride Tizamagician, who breaks from the outside post and is expected to take his customary stalking position. Tizamagician is likely to have an early advantage over Red King, a 7-year-old horse who was third in the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf on May 29 at Santa Anita, and third to stablemate Acclimate in the Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano Stakes at about 1 3/4 miles on turf on June 19.
Red King’s main goal of the summer meeting will probably be the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on turf on Aug. 21, a race he won last year, trainer Phil D’Amato said. The $750,000 Pacific Classic is not out of the question if Red King wins Sunday, D’Amato said.
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“We want to take a look and see what that division looks like,” D’Amato said. “There’s really no race for him earlier on as a prep for the Del Mar Handicap.
“The spacing is that if he likes the dirt marathon situation, it opens more doors. If he doesn’t, there is plenty of time to recuperate and be ready for the Del Mar Handicap.”