Tizamagician goes long again in Tokyo City Cup

Three times since late September, Tizamagician has contested the lead in a graded stakes on dirt at 1 1/8 miles or farther at Santa Anita only to fade from contention in the final quarter-mile. The losses include second-place finishes in the Grade 3 Tokyo City Cup last September and Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes in January, and a fifth-place finish in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 6.

Tizamagician again will try to go the distance in the $100,000 Tokyo City Cup at 1 1/2 miles.

:: Enhance your handicapping with DRF’s Santa Anita Clocker Report

A 4-year-old colt trained by Richard Mandella, Tizamagician could face a challenge at the front from Zestful.

Mandella thinks the lengthy trip will work in favor of Tizamagician, who won a Jan. 2 allowance race at 1 1/16 miles between his efforts in last year’s Tokyo City and the San Pasqual.

Tizamagician was beaten 7 1/4 lengths by Cupid’s Claws in the 2020 Tokyo City, a race postponed from the spring to early autumn because of the pandemic.

In the Big Cap at 1 1/4 miles, Tizamagician disputed the pace to early stretch before finishing four lengths behind Idol, who closed with a wide rally.

“It was a little disappointing, but it was okay,” Mandella said of the performance.

Flavien Prat rides Tizamagician on Sunday, replacing Drayden Van Dyke, who recently moved to Kentucky.

The Tokyo City Cup drew only five compared to a field of seven last September. Tizamagician is the only horse to return for this year’s race.

Zestful, who was fourth in the San Pasqual, finished a game second in a starter allowance race at a mile here on April 3, his only start of 2021. He is proven at longer distances, having won the $100,000 Los Alamitos Special at 1 1/4 miles in September 2019. Zestful was second in the Grade 2 Marathon Stakes at 1 3/4 miles at Santa Anita two months later.

Trained by Mark Glatt, Zestful had three starts last year, including a win in an allowance race at 1 1/8 miles from the front at Del Mar last November.

If Tizamagician and Zestful get too carried away on the front, the race could unfold in favor of Ronamo, a 5-year-old gelding trained by Phil D’Amato, or Lure Him In, a 4-year-old gelding trained by Bob Hess Jr. Multiplier also starts. He was last of five in the Grade 3 San Luis Rey Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on turf on March 20.

The Tokyo City will be the stakes debut for Ronamo, a former maiden claimer who finished second by a nose in a starter allowance at a mile on Feb. 28. Ronamo led in deep stretch of that race and was caught by Motown Music, who was third in an allowance race on turf on April 3.

Lure Him In has started in four races at distances ranging from 1 1/8 miles to 1 1/2 miles, all on turf, and has been second or third in each start.