‘Magician’ Can Cast Winning Spell In Maryland Million Turf

Bell Gable Stable's Somekindofmagician, two months after becoming a stakes winner in his previous trip to Maryland, returns looking to conjure up a similar result in Saturday's $100,000 Maryland Million Turf at Laurel Park.

The Turf for 3-year-olds and up and Ladies for fillies and mares 3 and older, both contested at 1 1/8 miles on the grass, are among eight stakes and four starter stakes on the 36th Jim McKay Maryland Million program, 'Maryland's Day at the Races' celebrating the progeny of stallions standing in the state.

Highlighted by the $150,000 Classic for 3-year-olds and up, first race post time is 11:30 a.m.

Trained by Gary Contessa for owners Nick and Delora Beaver, Somekindofmagician capped a three-race win streak with his 1 ¾-length upset of the 1 1/16-mile Find at odds of 9-1 over a yielding turf course Aug. 21 at historic Pimlico Race Course.

It was the sixth career win for the 7-year-old Street Magician gelding, half of those coming in six starts this year since Contessa came out of retirement to take over as private trainer for Delaware Park-based Bell Gable.

“I think, honestly, that he's responding to Gary's regimen. Not all horses do. We have horses that have not quite responded and maybe regressed a little bit, but he's been the one horse that when you walk down the shedrow and Delora will have carrots in her hand, he'll almost run through the webbing,” Nick Beaver said. “He just feels so good. We've had him for about four years now and I've never seen him look so good.”

The Find victory came during a career-best stretch for Somekindofmagician, who will be making his fifth straight appearance in the Turf having run second in 2017 and 2019 for previous trainers Jamie Ness and Mike Trombetta and sixth last year, again with Ness. His win streak ended when he ran third, beaten three lengths, in a 7 ½-furlong optional claiming turf sprint Sept. 30 at Delaware.

“That last race, he had nowhere to go. At Delaware, the stretch is a little bit shorter and he was stuck behind a whole wall of horses. He was flying at the end. If that race would have been a mile he would have won that race. He's ready. We have no excuses. If he doesn't win, he just gets beat by a better horse that day. He's probably the best he's ever been in his life right now,” Beaver said. “He is on top of his game right now. We're excited. We're just waiting for Saturday.”

Somekindofmagician, rated at 9-2 on the morning line, will have Angel Cruz back for the third straight race, breaking from Post 5 in a field of 13 including three also-eligibles.

The 2-1 program favorite is last year's Turf runner-up, Taking Risks Stable's Cannon's Roar, beaten a length last year by 15-1 long shot Pretty Good Year, who returns to defend his title. Cannon's Roar ran fifth in the Find and came back to be third, a half-length behind winner Xy Speed, in the 5 ½-furlong Laurel Dash Oct. 2 as his Million tune-up.

“It's just been hard to get races to fill for him. I was training him to go long and I just couldn't get anything to go, so the sprint came up and we tried to sharpen him up a little bit,” trainer Dale Capuano said. “He ran well, so now I can go from short back to long, which I like to do. Hopefully, he'll run well. He had a terrific work the other day, and he should be ready to go.”

Capuano owns the most wins of any trainer in Maryland Million history with 14, including three last year and the 1999 Turf with Private Slip. Still seeking his first career stakes win, Cannon's Roar will have Charlie Marquez aboard from Post 1.

“He hasn't won one yet. He's been unlucky in a couple of them, but nothing yet. The weather's supposed to be good so the turf should be good and hopefully we get a good trip and we'll see if we can finally get one,” Capuano said. “He has enough speed to get himself in a good position. Hopefully it'll all go well. He should be all right.”

In all, four horses return from last year's Turf including Nick Papagiorgio, who ran third. Also entered are Raven's Delight, Benny Havens, Johng, Trifor Gold, Street Copper and Up Against It with Beltway Bob, Robert's Luxury and Who's Counting on the also-eligible list.

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Reach For The Moon Bids To Open Account

Observations on the European Racing Scene turns the spotlight on the best European races of the day, highlighting well-pedigreed horses early in their careers, horses of note returning to action and young runners that achieved notable results in the sales ring. Today's Observations features a blueblooded homebred of The Queen's.

1.00 Newbury, Novice, £10,000, 2yo, 7fT
NOBEL (IRE) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), who cost 825,000gns at the Tattersalls October Book 1 Sale, represents the Qatar Racing-Andrew Balding Classic-winning partnership as he makes his debut. A half-brother to the G3 Leopardstown Fillies Trial S. winner Love Locket (Ire) (No Nay Never) and the listed scorer Raakib Alhawa (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) from the family of High Chaparral (Ire), the March-foaled chestnut will have to be smart to deal with Prince Faisal's Find (GB) (Frankel {GB}), a John and Thady Gosden-trained son of the GI Alcibiades S. winner Spring In the Air (Spring At Last) who split the subsequent G2 July S. winner Lusail (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) and fellow July meeting scorer Noble Truth (Fr) (Kingman {GB}) at Newmarket last month.

1.35 Newbury, Novice, £10,000, 2yo, 7fT
REACH FOR THE MOON (GB) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) was half a length behind 'TDN Rising Star' Point Lonsdale (Ire) (Australia {GB}) in Royal Ascot's Listed Chesham S. last month and that form should be good enough to see The Queen's homebred off the mark in the second division of this novice. The John and Thady Gosden-trained half-brother to the G1 Winx S. runner-up Invictus Prince (GB) (Dansili {GB}) from the family of the G1 Epsom Oaks runner-up Flight of Fancy (GB) (Sadler's Wells) meets Susan Roy's unraced colt Dawn of Liberation (Ire) (Churchill {Ire}), a Richard Hannon-trained half-brother to the high-class 2-year-olds Toormore (Ire) (Arakan) and Estidhkaar (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}).

4.10 Haydock, Cond, £12,500, 3yo/up, 6f 212yT
BARADAR (IRE) (Muhaarar {GB}) makes his keenly-anticipated 3-year-old debut, having been absent since finishing third in the G1 Vertem Futurity Trophy at Doncaster in October. Roger Varian has failed to find a soft touch for Amo Racing's half-brother to last year's G1 Queen Elizabeth II S. runner-up Roseman (Ire) (Kingman {GB}), with two of his three rivals being Shadwell's 'TDN Rising Star' Mutasaabeq (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and last year's G2 Mill Reef S. runner-up Fivethousandtoone (Ire) (Frankel {GB}).

4.20 Nottingham, Novice, £7,000, 3yo/up, f/m, 8f 75yT
STAR SEEKING (IRE) (Gleneagles {Ire}) makes her belated 3-year-old seasonal bow, having earned 'TDN Rising Star' status when successful on her sole start at Leicester in September. From the family of the sire Linngari (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}), the Sir Michael Stoute-trained chestnut carries the Michael Tabor silks as she faces five rivals.

6.10 Newmarket, Novice, £9,000, 2yo, f, 7fT
WITH THE MOONLIGHT (IRE) (Frankel {GB}) is a full-sister to the G1 Jebel Hatta winner Dream Castle (GB), who failed to make the track at two before making up for lost time. Godolphin's homebred, who is a daughter of the G2 Flying Childers S. scorer Sand Vixen (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) from a proven cross, represents the Charlie Appleby stable.

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