Tokyo City Cup Preview: Tizamagician Takes Another Shot at Graded Glory

ARCADIA, CA – Runner-up in last year’s edition, Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella’s Tizamagician takes another shot at earning graded stakes glory in Sunday’s $100,000 Tokyo City Cup Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park.

The Tokyo City Cup is a 1 1/2-mile dirt marathon open to horses ages 4 and up. This year’s edition is the third event on a 9-race card and has a local post time of 2:00 PM.

Here’s a look at the full field for the Tokyo City Cup:

1. Multiplier 8/1 – He switches back to dirt after floundering in the San Luis Rey Stakes (G3), a 1 1/2-mile local turf marathon that admittedly attracted a saltier field than usual. While he gets major class here, his only dirt win in the past 4 years came 3 back while in for a $50k tag, where current trainer Andrew Lerner claimed him. Before the San Luis Rey, he was fourth in his first start for Lerner.

2. Ronamo 8/1 – He returned from a nearly 4-month break to finish second by a nose in a local 1-mile starter allowance restricted to non-winners of 3 races lifetime. Though he’s only visited the winner’s circle twice (less often than any rival he faces here), he broke his maiden in his 14th try last June going 1 1/8 miles at Churchill Downs and repeated 2 starts later in a $50k Del Mar starter allowance.

3. Tizamagician 4/5 – The morning line favorite takes a significant class drop after pressing the pace and finishing fifth in the 1 1/4-mile Santa Anita Handicap (G1) behind one of the country’s top older dirt males. He kicked off his 4-year-old campaign defeating local optional claimers going 1 1/16 miles and was second in the San Pasqual Stakes (G2) prior to the Big Cap, plus the meet’s leading rider Flavien Prat takes over.

4. Lure Him In 4/1 – He tries dirt for the first time since trainer Bob Hess Jr. claimed him for $40k out of a Gulfstream Park turf mile victory last July; he’s compiled a 7-0-4-2 record since the barn change. Within that streak is a 4-0-2-2 record when running at least 1 1/4 miles, including missing by a 1/2-length in a local 1 1/2-mile turf route against $40k starter allowance rivals. His fast dirt record is 4-3-0-0.

5. Zestful 5/2 – He makes a quick turnaround after finishing second by a head in a local 1-mile $50k starter allowance event and earning a career-high 99 Beyer Speed Figure in his first start since finishing fourth in the San Pasqual. His game is to dictate the early pace and hope to hold onlate, but with Tizamagician again drawn to his inside (just like in the San Pasqual), can he turn the tables this time?