Touch Love tries two turns and boys

Touch Love, a graded stakes winner, and Magic Weisner, whose long-range plans could include the Preakness, lend spice to Saturday's $75,000 Deputed Testamony for Maryland-breds at Laurel Park.

Touch Love is the only filly among the seven 3-year-olds entered in the 1 1/16-mile Deputed Testamony.

Touch Love, a winner of three starts last year for trainer Tony Dutrow, including the Grade 2 Schuylerville at Saratoga, went to the sidelines after the Schuylerville with sore shins.

In her 2002 debut in the seven-furlong Jameela Stakes against fillies on Feb. 2, Touch Love, the heavy favorite, stumbled at the start and lost her rider, Ramon Dominguez. Neither rider or horse were injured.

The Deputed Testamony will be Touch Love's first race around two turns and will give Dutrow, who has been nearly unstoppable in stakes this year, an idea what the future will hold for his filly.

Dutrow said the Deputed Testamony is a good spot to test Touch Love, a daughter of Not for Love, for stamina.

"She's better than these horses," Dutrow said. "This is an awfully classy filly and I think she will get the two turns against average horses. With this kind of filly, the [layoff] won't be a factor."

Dominguez rides Touch Love, who gets in light with 110 pounds and should be prominent in the early going from her rail post.

Dutrow also entered Radio One but said he will scratch the colt.

Touch Love's biggest threat should come from Magic Weisner, a winner of his last three at Laurel.

Magic Weisner started the streak in December by capturing a first-level allowance race in the slop. An Ameri Valay colt, he followed with wins in the 1 1/8-mile Maryland Juvenile Championship and the seven-furlong Goss Stryker.

"He's a late May foal and has some maturing to do, but right now it looks like he can do anything," said trainer Nancy Alberts, who is also Magic Weisner's breeder, owner, and exercise rider.

Alberts said Magic Weisner, a nominee to the Triple Crown, is a good bet for the Preakness, providing he runs well Saturday and in future stakes, such as the Private Terms and Federico Tesio, in the spring.

Phil Teator rides Magic Weisner, who packs top weight of 122.

Buddy Delp's entry of Invent and Broom completes the field along with Root With Style and Majestic Sir.

The filed is completed by Root With Style, majestic Sir and Buddy Delp's entry of Invert and Broom.

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