Lameness Knocks Magician Out of BC Turf

Magician  , winner of the 2013 Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT), has been withdrawn from this year's race at Santa Anita Park, trainer Aiden O'Brien confirmed the morning of Oct. 29.

The 4-year-old Galileo colt was severly lame in his right front leg when he came out to jog before heading to the track in the morning.

"It's very disappointing," O'Brien said. "We were looking forward to him, really, we thought he was coming back to where he was for the Breeders' Cup here last year. Just when he came out for his trot, he was acutely lame." 

Owned by Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Mrs. John Magnier, Magician finished second in the Aug. 16 Arlington Million (gr. IT) to fellow Turf contender Hardest Core. In six starts this season, his only victory was in the May 5 Mooresbridge Stakes (Ire-III) at The Curragh.

Plans called for Magician to be retired to Ashford Stud following the Breeder's Cup.

BLOOD-HORSE STAFF: Magician to Stand at Ashford Stud in 2015

"This is the race we were looking at all year with him," O'Brien said. "Obviously we hadn't gotten back to where he was last year, this year yet. But everything through the year had been to come here. We were just dialing him gently, gently, until this was the one we were starting to push him for. It's just a big pity."

Other defections from the Breeders' Cup so far have been Elizabeth Valando's Free as a Bird, entered in the Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (gr. IT), American Pharoah from the Sentient Jet Juvenile (gr. I), and Handsome Mike from the Dirt Mile (gr. I).

Tom LaMarra contributed to this report