Champion Good Magic to Stonestreet for Time Off

Champion Good Magic will be sent to Stonestreet Farm for some time off in the days following the end of the Saratoga Race Course meet, trainer Chad Brown said the morning of Aug. 30.

The multiple grade 1-winning son of Curlin  finished ninth as the favorite in the Aug. 25 Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) and has been under the weather since, according to the meet's leading trainer.

"He's still here. He came out of the race actually sick," Brown said. "He had a high white (blood cell) count, so we've been treating with antibiotics and the horse actually looks better today, but I'm not comfortable shipping (him) until early next week.

"He's going to get a checkup at Rood & Riddle first. I want to wait to see how he checks out first."

The champion 2-year-old male of 2017 broke awkwardly in the Travers—his first race since his victory in the betfair.com Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1) July 29 at Monmouth Park—and remained three lengths off the lead before he settled wide into the first turn. Good Magic, who usually stalks the pace in his races, remained toward the back of the pack and came up empty turning for home. He only finished ahead of filly Wonder Gadot to the wire, but Brown said he couldn't confirm the colt's illness has anything to do with his sluggish performance.

"I'm not sure. It could," Brown said. "I don't want to speculate much. I want to be thorough about getting him evaluated to see if there's anything physically that's bothering (him) as well. The first thing we noticed was that the horse was sick. He was not himself the next day. His blood work indicated that he was sick. He had an infection somewhere. His white-cell count was high, so we've been on top of that (and) treating it."

Good Magic, owned by e Five Racing Thoroughbreds and Stonestreet Stables, began his year with a third-place finish in the March 3 Xpressbet Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park and went on to win the April 7 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G2) by 1 1/2 lengths at Keeneland.

The 2017 Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner then went on to a runner-up finish behind Justify in the May 5 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) at Churchill Downs and returned two weeks later to finish fourth in the Preakness Stakes (G1) after he dueled with the eventual Triple Crown winner on the front end.

Brown said he wants Good Magic to be well and have a clean bill of health before he speculates on his campaign leading up to the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1).

Brown added that classic-placed Gronkowski is in good shape following his eighth-place finish in the Travers. He added that the runner-up in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) is still on target for the Sept. 29 Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Belmont Park.

"He didn't handle the track," Brown said of Gronkowski's Travers effort. "He didn't fire for whatever (reason), but he seems to come out of the race in good health. He's already shipped to Belmont Park. The plan is to train to the Jockey Club Gold Cup."