Good Magic Secures Top Slot After Cruising in G1 Haskell

OCEANPORT, NJ – e Five Racing Thoroughbreds and Stonestreet Stables’ Good Magic showed on Sunday that he is all too ready to become the 3-year-old male’s new division leader after cruising home to victory in the Grade 1, $1,000,000 betfair.com Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park.

The Haskell is a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” event, with Good Magic receiving an automatic berth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Churchill Downs on Saturday, November 3. Good Magic is the defending champion of the Breeders’ Cup Sentient Jet Juvenile.

Breaking well from post 6 under Jose Ortiz as the 2-5 favorite, Good Magic initially ran three-wide into the first turn after Roaming Union took the lead along the rail and Bravazo ran between them. Straightening out on the backstretch, however, Roaming Union inched away while Ortiz was able to relax his steed. Roaming Union was able to post uncontested opening fractions of :23.15 and :46.83. Entering the far turn, though, Good Magic’s relaxed strides had built up enough steam that he rounded the far turn and took command with ease. Emerging onto the front stretch with a considerable gap separating him from his foes, the Chad Brown trainee drew off convincingly to win by 3 lengths in a final time of 1:50.01 for the 1 1/8-mile main track event.

“The horse was training great, I thought Jose gave an excellent trip, and everything worked out perfect,” Brown said in a post-race interview on NBC. “I just wanted to make sure that he got to the wire in first.”

Bravazo finished much the best of the rest, taking second by 6 lengths over Lone Sailor and Core Beliefs. Further back, Golden Brown, Roaming Union, and Navy Comander completed the order of finish.

Good Magic’s victory was his second of the year and third overall, pushing his record to 8-3-3-1. The 3-year-old son of Curlin, purchased for $1,000,000 as a yearling, increased his lifetime bankroll to $2,945,000 after taking home the $600,000 winner’s share.

Many Haskell winners in the past have attempted to take the Grade 1, $1,250,000 Travers Stakes at Saratoga, but very few have succeeded, including the 2015 Triple Crown champion American Pharoah. When asked in that interview if he would give it a shot with Good Magic, Brown was optimistic.

“We’ll take it a race at a time,” he said. “He was striding out nicely near the wire, and I think he can get a mile and 1/4. He certainly ran a nice one in the Kentucky Derby at a mile and 1/4.”

Good Magic returned $3 to win, $2.40 to place, and $2.10 to show. Bravazo brought back $4 to place and $2.60 to show, while Lone Sailor paid $2.60 to show.