Tizamagician Dominates Tokyo City Cup

ARCADIA, CA – MyRacehorse.com and Spendthrift Farm’s Tizamagician dominated his rivals for his first stakes score in Sunday’s $100,000 Tokyo City Cup (G3) at Santa Anita Park.

Sent away from post 3 under Flavien Prat as the 3/5 favorite, Tizamagician settled just behind and outside of the 7/2 second choice Zestful, who posted fractions of :24.12, :47.87, 1:13.01, and 1:38.66 through the opening mile.

Tizamagician ranged up to challenge for the lead as the field entered the far turn for the second time, and after Prat checked over both shoulders for any advancing rivals, the Richard Mandella trainee kicked clear at the top of the stretch.

Drawing off powerfully, Tizamagician crossed 9 lengths much the best, completing the 1 1/2-mile fast dirt route in 2:32.45.

“I wanted the other horse to clear me, because you can’t take a hold of my horse,” Prat said. “He settled very nice and it looks like a mile and 1/2 is a great distance for him.”

Zestful held second by 2 3/4 lengths over Lure Him In, while Ronamo was 12 lengths further back in fourth.

Multiplier broke down nearing the far turn for the second time and was vanned off.

Tizamagician’s winning finish was one spot better than his runner-up effort in last year’s edition and improved his overall record to 16-4-6-0. The 4-year-old Tiznow colt’s earnings increased to $287,851.

“It’s great when you win, there’s a lot of nice, happy people, but it’s scary when you lose and they’re mad, I’ll tell you that,” said Mandella, who also saddled Saturday’s Californian Stakes (G2) winner Royal Ship. “(The MyRacehorse.com syndicate) is a great operation. Not only does it create people to own a piece of the horse, but they all have friends and the idea is, if they get their friends, they get people into racing and that’s what we need.”

Tizamagician returned $3.20 to win, $2.20 to place, and $2.10 to show. Zestful brought back $3.40 to place and $2.20 to show. Lure Him In paid $2.20 to show.