Magic Dance Aims to Take Next Step in Adirondack
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Photo: Coady Photography
Magic Dance wins the Debutante Stakes at Churchill Downs
After delivering a pair of clear victories at Churchill Downs, including a 1 1/2-length score in the Debutante Stakes June 29, Three Chimneys Farm's Magic Dance will try to land a graded stakes Aug. 4 at Saratoga Race Course.
Magic Dance drew the outside post in the eight-horse field expected for the $200,000 Adirondack Stakes (G2) for 2-year-old fillies on the Saratoga main track. The lone stakes winner in the field, the daughter of More Than Ready stretches out just a bit off her six-furlong score in the Debutante to try 6 1/2 furlongs Sunday.
Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen, a two-time Adirondack winner, trains Magic Dance, who scored her stakes win after a 4 3/4-length triumph in her June 7 debut in Louisville. She defeated next-out winner Josie in that effort.
"I think Steve has been happy with her, and she's going into the race positively," said Three Chimneys vice chairman Doug Cauthen. "She's settled into Saratoga well. With the outside post, hopefully she just breaks away from there and sees what everyone else does and play it by ear after that. I would expect Frank's Rockette is going to be the main competition and with her down closer (post 2), maybe she goes and this filly gets to follow her."
A victory in the Adirondack would give Magic Dance's dam, Magical World, by Distorted Humor , a second daughter to score a graded stakes win at the meet. Last weekend, Magic Dance's older half sister Guarana won the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1).
"Both are pretty fast, but this filly has more proving to do," Cauthen said. "She's answered every call, she's young, she's in great hands, and I think it'll be a great race."
Magic Dance, who will be ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr., is not the only young filly entering the Adirondack off an impressive career start at Churchill. Frank's Rockette, a homebred for Frank Fletcher Racing Operations, will make her stakes debut after an 8 3/4-length victory in her first start June 21 at Churchill.
The bay daughter of Into Mischief is out of Rocket Twentyone, a graded stakes-winning daughter of Indian Charlie. Frank's Rockette will be reunited with jockey Julien Leparoux.
Trainer Mark Casse will saddle Tracy Farmer's Perfect Alibi, who was three-quarters of a length shy of winning the Astoria Stakes at Belmont Park last out. The dark bay Sky Mesa filly was a 9 1/2-length winner of her debut May 16 at Churchill.
Perfect Alibi is out of stakes-winning Maria's Mon broodmare No Use Denying. She will break from post 3 under two-time Saratoga leading rider Irad Ortiz Jr., who guided Cavorting to victory in the 2014 Adirondack.
Saratoga Race Course, Sunday, August 04, 2019, Race 10Entries: Adirondack S. (G2)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Big Q (NY)
Jose Lezcano
120
Gary P. Gullo
20/1
2
2Frank's Rockette (KY)
Julien R. Leparoux
120
William I. Mott
2/1
3
3Perfect Alibi (KY)
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
120
Mark E. Casse
9/2
4
4Integral (KY)
John R. Velazquez
120
Todd A. Pletcher
12/1
5
5Mylastfirstkiss (KY)
Chris Landeros
118
Anthony T. Quartarolo
30/1
6
6Miss Peppina (FL)
Joel Rosario
120
Gary P. Gullo
8/1
7
7Just Fly (KY)
Luis Saez
120
Joe Sharp
12/1
8
8Magic Dance (KY)
Ricardo Santana, Jr.
122
Steven M. Asmussen
7/5
