Jet Black Magic Upsets Delta Princess
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Photo: Coady Photography
Jet Black Magic streaks home to win the Delta Downs Princess Stakes.
Carl R. Moore's Jet Black Magic turned the tables on 1-5 favorite La Appassionata and soared clear to victory in the $400,000 Delta Downs Princess Stakes (gr. III) Nov. 21 at Delta Downs.
The 2-year-old Louisiana-bred daughter of Hold Me Back closed from far back in a field of seven and easily blew past the previously undefeated La Appassionata, who came off a victory in Delta's Oct. 23 My Trusty Cat Stakes. Jet Black Magic finished third in that seven-furlong event, but she clearly relished the stretch-out to a mile and did not mind a sloppy track as she drew off to a 4 1/4-length win.
Jet Black Magic raced last on the inside heading into the first turn, as longshot Angelita took the lead in the Delta Princess. The frontrunner went a quarter in :24.02 and a half in :49.60, with rival Shesthewinner in close pursuit, as Jet Black Magic began to make up ground. La Appassionata traveled four wide and looked in position to strike headed for home through three-quarters in 1:15.70, but the eventual winner was gearing up with a strong run and, shifted outside by jockey Roberto Morales, kicked clear through seven-eighths in 1:29.11, en route to her first graded stakes win.
The Bret Calhoun trainee completed a mile in 1:42.14 and paid $21.40, $4.80, and $2.60 at odds of 9-1. La Appassionata, who held for second, brought $2.20 and $2.10. Above Fashion, the second-place finisher in the My Trusty Cat, made a run but flattened to third and paid $2.40.
Completing the order of finish were Shesthewinner, who was disqualified for interference, Learning Curve, Angelita, and Charlie's Pal.
Jet Black Magic was bred by Clear Creek Stud out of the Silver Deputy mare Rhodelia and improved her record to 2-1-1 from four starts for earnings of $275,880. She also collected points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks; the Delta Downs Princess is a qualifying race, with points of 10-4-2-1 awarded to the top four finishers for a spot in the starting gate for the 2016 Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) at Churchill Downs.