My Magic Wand looks to conjure up first stakes win in $125K Broadway

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing’s My Magic Wand will look to extend her win streak to four when making her stakes bow in Sunday’s $125,000 Broadway, a seven-furlong sprint for older New York-bred fillies and mares, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by Gregg Sacco, the 4-year-old daughter of Gun Runner enters from a six-furlong optional-claiming score against fellow state-breds in a performance that saw her stalk the pace under Manny Franco before assuming command in the middle stages and drawing off to a 1 1/2-length victory. The effort was awarded a career-high 83 Beyer Speed Figure.

“Her last race was super,” said Sacco. “She broke and got right into the bridle for Manny, and at any given time in that race, she looked like a winner. She had the front horse measured and just did her thing. She loafs a little when she makes the lead and you have to get a little busy on her, but she knows her job.”

My Magic Wand kicked off her win streak with a second-out graduation facing open company on September 27 here, annexing the 6 1/2-furlong maiden by 5 3/4 lengths in wire-to-wire fashion under Hall of Famer John Velazquez. She returned on November 22 to score in a local allowance tilt facing state-breds at the Broadway distance in what was the farthest test of her career.

“You hope from race to race that they improve, and she missed the break in her first race at Saratoga, but she’s done everything right since then,” Sacco said. “Every race has been a natural progression and she broke her maiden in open company. She’s done everything we’ve asked of her and she has gained confidence and has matured. She’s really straightforward. We can’t be happier with her progression.”

Sacco said My Magic Wand has shown her versatility with wins from just off the pace and on the lead.

“She’s a forwardly-placed filly, which is nice because she can go to it or she can stalk,” Sacco said. “She’s not one-dimensional, and that’s always a plus. It was perfect spacing between her last race and the Broadway, and we know there’s some seasoned fillies in here, so we expect it to be a very competitive race and hopefully she can step up and run against some of the elite state-bred fillies.”

Bred by Sequel Thoroughbreds and Lakland Farm, My Magic Wand was a $155,000 purchase at the 2022 Keeneland January Horses of All Ages Sale and is out of the Trappe Shot mare Gun Club, a half-sister to Grade 3-placed Beasley and Puerto Rican Grade 2-placed sire Conspiracy.

My Magic Wand made her final Broadway preparations on Saturday over the Belmont Park dirt training track when covering a half-mile in 49.25 seconds.

“She’s been thriving all winter and it was a maintenance work, but she galloped out strong and cooled out good,” Sacco said. “She’s maintained her weight all winter and she’s shown everything you want to see with a filly in the winter.”

Franco retains the mount from post 6.

Lael Stables’ dual stakes-winner Landed returns from a four-month layoff for conditioner Wesley Ward on the heels of a pacesetting third in an open company optional claimer on October 23 at Keeneland.

The 4-year-old Omaha Beach bay was a $500,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale and is out of the winning Medaglia d’Oro mare Glory Gold, making her a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-placed millionaire Venti Valentine and multiple stakes-winner Espresso Shot. Landed finished third in her September 2023 debut, but returned with aplomb to graduate at second asking that December here when trouncing a one-mile state-bred maiden by 5 1/2 lengths.

Landed, bred by Final Furlong Racing Stable and Maspeth Stable, cuts back to the distance that produced her career-best speed figure when earning an 86 Beyer for a 1 1/4-length score over returning rival Caldwell Luvs Gold in the state-bred Bouwerie in June at Saratoga Race Course. She has never finished off-the-board in seven outings, including an additional state-bred stakes win at Saratoga when stretched out to nine-furlongs in the Fleet Indian in August.

Luan Machado has the call from post 3.

Dicke Racing’s graded stakes-placed Caldwell Luvs Gold [post 9, Jose Lezcano] returns to state-bred company after an even fourth last out in the local seven-furlong Interborough on January 25 for dual Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox.

“There were no excuses for her last race and she didn’t fire, but she seems like she’s bounced out of it and is going into this race with good enough energy,” said Dustin Dugas, Cox’s New York assistant. “Hopefully she’ll fire this time.”

The 4-year-old Goldencents bay has won at distances ranging from six furlongs to 1 1/16 miles, and earned a graded placing on turf when third in the Grade 3 Fasig-Tipton Jockey Club Oaks Invitational in September here, defeated just 1 1/2 lengths by the victorious Beautiful Love.

Caldwell Luvs Gold found stakes success as a juvenile sprinting in the Seeking the Ante at Saratoga and as a sophomore at a route of ground in the New York Oaks at Finger Lakes Racetrack, but Dugas said the filly is likely at her best around one turn.

“Her form looks a little back and forth at times, but she’s doing really good right now,” Dugas said. “I know she has run well two turns, but I think she’s one that is more a middle-distance type that needs a pace to run into. She’s a very solid, honest filly and she does try.”

Bred by Jeremiah Desmond and Drumkenny Farm, Caldwell Luvs Gold was purchased for $73,000 at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale and is out of the Quality Road mare Snow, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-placed Quindici Man and Spurrier. She has banked $411,365 through a 14-4-2-3 record.

Michael Dubb and Michael Caruso’s stakes-placed Tough Street [post 11, Eric Cancel] returns to state-bred company after making her last three starts against open company. Trained by five-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, the 6-year-old Speightster chestnut has finished on-the-board in each of her last seven starts, including her latest win in July at Saratoga Race Course that garnered a field and career-best 96 Beyer.

The consistent mare boasts a 22-7-8-4 record that includes a 12 1/4-length graduation in October 2022 here, and a third-place finish in an off-the-turf edition of the state-bred Mount Vernon in June at Saratoga Race Course.

Bred by Cheryl Prudhomme and Dr. Michael Gallivan, Tough Street was a $37,000 purchase at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Eastern Fall Yearling Sale and is out of the winning Freud mare La Condesa, a half-sister to stakes-winner Jazzy Jessy.

WinStar Farm’s Catchphrase [post 2, Jose Gomez] is one of three Broadway entrants that are cross-entered in Saturday’s open-company $150,000 Heavenly Prize Invitational. Trainer Amelia Green previously indicated a slight preference for the Broadway for the daughter of Bolt d’Oro to make her stakes debut.

The 5-year-old bay was last seen graduating at third asking in a local six-furlong state-bred maiden under Kendrick Carmouche, defeating her four rivals by 6 1/2 lengths with a pacesetting effort that earned a career-best 67 Beyer.

Catchphrase improved from a pair of close pacesetting on-the-board efforts to start her career, including a three-quarter-length third on debut for trainer Will Walden at this distance in November here, and a neck second in December in her first effort for Green.

Green said Catchphrase is likely more adaptable than she may appear on paper.

"I don't think she's necessarily a need the lead type. She just ends up on the lead. That's how she's ran, but in the morning training, her gallop-outs are very good,” Green explained. “I think her running style is more of a pace thing, it depends on how the pace is going to set up as opposed to distance.”

Bred by Joseph DiRico, Catchphrase was a $200,000 purchase at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale and is out of the stakes-winning Rockport Harbor mare Grace’s Treasure. 

Also cross-entered in the Heavenly Prize are the multiple stakes-placed Bernietakescharge [post 5, Romero Maragh] for trainer Domenick Schettino and stakes-placed Bon Adieu [post 1, Katie Davis] for trainer Rudy Rodriguez.

Completing the Broadway field are dual stakes-winner Cara’s Time [post 8, Ruben Silvera] for trainer Mitchell Friedman, stakes-winner Sweet Brown Sugar [post 7, Lane Luzzi] for conditioner Paul Barrow, two-time winner Snappin Buttons [post 10, Carol Cedeno] for trainer Antonio Arriaga and last-out optional claiming winner Speightful Lily [post 4, Kendrick Carmouche] for trainer Jim Bond.

The Broadway is slated as Race 9 on Sunday’s 10-race card. First post is 12:40 p.m. Eastern.  

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Aqueduct Racetrack winter meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.
 
NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the winter meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.