Magic Michael May Put on Show in Deputed Testamony

Morris Kernan Jr., Yo Berbs, and Jagger's grade 3 winner Magic Michael , a 5-year-old veteran of 27 starts, will bring his act to Laurel Park for the first time July 30 in the $100,000 Deputed Testamony Stakes. He ran second in the race last year when it was contested at Pimlico Race Course.

The 1 1/8-mile Deputed Testamony is the richest of five stakes worth $400,000 in purses on a 10-race program. Also on the card are four $75,000 stakes restricted to Maryland-bred/sired horses.

Magic Michael has 10 career wins, five seconds, and one third, doing much of his best running for current trainer Jamie Ness, who claimed him for $30,000 in November 2020. He went 7-for-12 with three seconds in 2021, ending the year with back-to-back one-mile allowance wins at Parx Racing. This year he has a fifth, coming on turf, and a third in two starts. The latter race came in the Battery Park Stakes over a sloppy track at Delaware Park.

"This will be his third race off the layoff. I gave him the whole winter off before we brought him back," Ness said. "He started out on the turf and just kind of ran even, and last time he ran a good third. I think he's coming into this third start in peak condition right now."

Treasure Trove  will be making his 38th career start and first since being claimed for $50,000 by owner/trainer Norman "Lynn" Cash's Built Wright Stables out of a runner-up allowance optional claiming finish June 26 at Laurel, where the 6-year-old gelding has a record of 2-2-1 from eight tries.

Breaking a step slow, Treasure Trove ran sixth of 10 behind First Captain  in the May 20 Pimlico Special (G3), which he entered off a rallying allowance optional claiming triumph going 1 1/8 miles April 21 at Laurel, his only win in sixth tries at the distance.

"I've watched him for a long time. A friend of mine had him. They bought him as a 2-year-old at the (Ocala Breeders' Sales) 2-year-old in-training sale, and then he got claimed away. He just keeps blossoming," Cash said. "He's always in the money, always coming. He just seems like he just keeps getting better and better."

Treasure Trove has run third or better 19 times with eight wins.

Ronald Cuneo's Armando R  enters the Deputed Testamony off a popular victory at the course and distance June 12 for trainer Damon Dilodovico, who claimed the 6-year-old Blame   gelding for $16,000 out of a win last fall at Laurel. Eighth in his debut for his new connections to cap 2021, he has posted two wins, a second, and two thirds from six starts this year.

Completing the field are Commandeer , Plot the Dots , Ridin With Biden , and Tappin Cat .

Entries: Deputed Testamony S.

Laurel Park, Saturday, July 30, 2022, Race 9

• STK
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $100,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 4:45 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Ridin With Biden (KY)	Frankie Pennington	120	Robert E. Reid, Jr.	-
2	Tappin Cat (MD)	Julio A. Hernandez	120	Gary Capuano	-
3	Armando R (KY)	Jorge Ruiz	120	Damon R. Dilodovico	-
4	Plot the Dots (MD)	Angel Cruz	120	Claudio A. Gonzalez	-
5	Treasure Trove (KY)	Horacio Karamanos	120	Norman L. Cash	-
6	Commandeer (KY)	Victor R. Carrasco	120	James J. Toner	-
7	Magic Michael (KY)	Jaime Rodriguez	120	Jamie Ness	-