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Magic Michael Proves To Be Horse For The Course In Parx Racing’s Commonwealth Cup

Morris Kernan Jr., Yo Berb's Racing and Jagger Inc.'s Magic Michael used his home court advantage to earn his first stakes victory in the $200,000, Grade 3 Greenwood Cup on Saturday at Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pa.

Trained by Jamie Ness, Magic Michael settled near the back o the field as Sea Foam set the pace through fractions of :24.82, :50.07 and 1:16.13. As Last Samurai overtook Sheer Flattery in the stretch, Magic Michael got there in the final strides to win by a neck.

“The longer I was sitting, the more he was wanting to go, and once I set him up and got him up to third, man he really took off,” said Frankie Pennington, who won his second race on the Pennsylvania Derby undercard. “He is very consistent, Jamie (Ness), does a great job with him, and I think the more distance the better with this horse and he was right on point.”

Magic Michael, who covered the 1 1/2 miles in 2:32.01 and paid $11.00 to win, has now won 7-of-8 races at Parx for leading trainer Ness, who claimed the 4-year-old Dramedy gelding for $30,000 at Churchill Downs on Nov. 14, 2020.”

“You know, we are local. A big day. Took a little bit of a shot here but the horse seems to do well over this track,” Ness said. “We have been pointing to this race for two months. It came up a little stronger than we thought it would. But we are here, took a shot and my jock knows this track real well. I think he won the race for me today.”

Last Samurai finished second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Sheer Flattery in third, with Lookin at Roses another six lengths back in fourth. Moretti, the 2-1 favorite finished fifth and was followed by Shooger Ray Too, 2019 G1 Pennsylvania Derby winner Math Wizard, Sea Foam and Forewarned.

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Mind Control Catches Silver State At Wire to Win Parx Dirt Mile

Silver State left himself plenty to do early in the Parx Dirt Mile, dropping back to last early, before rallying around the far turn in what looked like a winning move by Ricardo Santana, Jr. Powering past Mind Control in the stretch, the Grade 1 Met Mile winner was as much as a half-length in front before Mind Control battled back to catch him just before the wire and win the one-mile listed stakes by a head.

Rock on Luke was fastest out of the gate, taking the lead over Warrior's Charge and West Will Power in the first quarter. Mind Control and John Velazquez stalked the top three in fourth, falling back to fifth at the half-mile mark. At the back of the pack, Santana waited for a chance to improve Silver State's position after his awkward break.

Going into the far turn, Rock on Luke and Warrior's Charge still held the front two positions, but Velazquez took Mind Control to their outside to find a clear running lane for their stretch bid. Behind them, Silver State powered past horses on the outside, making up ground and setting up his challenge in the straight.

Into the stretch, Rock on Luke, Warrior's Charge, and Mind Control were three across the track, with Mind Control taking over the lead midstretch. Silver State rushed up to his outside, passing the Pletcher trainee to take a half-length lead before Velazquez and Mind Control battled back late, getting a head in front just before they hit the wire.

The final time for the one-mile Parx Dirt Mile was 1:36.59. Find this race's chart here.

Mind Control paid $7.20, $3.20, and $2.40. Silver State paid $2.40 and $2.10. Warrior's Charge paid $3.20.

Assistant trainer Bryon Hughes for Todd Pletcher, winning trainer of Mind Control (No. 3, $7.20): “Silver State looked like he got the jump on him and it didn't look like we were going to get back up in time. But Johnny kept driving and the horse has a big heart and it's not the first time he has done something like that, so we were happy with it. He never gave up and Johnny never gave up on him. Johnny knows him well. Can't say enough about his heart, that's for sure. I was watching Silver State down the backside and he made his run around the turn and he came up alongside of us and I thought he had the jump and I wasn't sure if we were going to fight back but something unexpected like that is always impressive, always exciting.”

John R. Velazquez, winning jockey aboard Mind Control (No. 3): “He didn't give up, I didn't give up. When I asked for more, he gave me more. I don't remember riding him this long, two-turns. He's been in a mile, a one turn mile, and then I don't remember him going that far. I always thought he could but we never tried him for a long time and he showed us that he could.”

Bred in Kentucky by Red Oak Stable, Mind Control is by Stay Thirsty out of the Lightnin N Thunder mare Feel That Fire. He is owned by Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stable. With his win in the Parx Dirt Mile, Mind Control has two wins in five starts in 2021, for a lifetime record of 23-9-3-4 and career winners of $1,413,229.

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Chub Wagon Maintains Her Winning Ways In Plum Pretty At Parx

Daniel Lopez and George Chestnut's Club Wagon answered the two-turn test successfully as she held off a late run from Vault to take the $200,000 Plum Pretty Stakes for Pennsylvania-bred filly and mares at Parx Racing in Bensalem, Penn.

Starting from the sixth post position, Chub Wagon stalked pacesetter Precious from the outside through fractions of :24 3/5, :48 4/5, and 1:12 3/5 before taking the lead halfway around the far turn to come away with a half-length victory under regular jockey Jomar Torres.

“We told the kid [Jomar Torres] when you come at the top of the stretch, try as best as you can because the top horses are going to be closing,” trainer Guadalupe Preciado said “I was not worried about the horse going long. She ran very hard.”

Chub Wagon, who paid $4.20 to win as the favorite, covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44 4/5. The 4-year-old filly also survived a trainer inquiry as she drifted out as she and Vault approached the finish line.

“Good trip first time for her first time long,” Torres said “She was relaxed and nice. She got a little tired I love that horse. I think she got out a little, but not too much. I didn't think she would come down.”

Chub Wagon, whose lone defeat came in the Dr. Teresa Garofalo Memorial Stakes with a second-place finish, has now won 10-11 races.

QUOTES

Guadalupe Preciado, winning trainer of Chub Wagon (No. 6, $4.20): “We told the kid when you come at the top of the stretch, try as best as you can because the top horses are going to be closing. I was not worried about the horse going long. She ran very hard. We run her so close. I believe in Lasix. We were supposed to run in New York at 6 ½ furlongs (Gallant Bloom on Sunday)} but there is no Lasix.”

“She is very, very nice. We run too close too many times, it was maybe two weeks and she ran a huge race.”

About the Distance: “It's hard to figure out. When she ran seven eighths against these horses, she kept on going. I thought this horse can go. It was two choices, we run over here long or run in NY with no Lasix and we stayed here.”

WORRIED ABOUT INQUIRY: No. the other kid never stopped riding.

Jomar Torres, winning jockey aboard Chub Wagon (No. 6): “Good trip for her first time and her first time long. She was relaxed and nice. She got a little tired. I love that horse. I think she got out a little, but not too much. I didn't think she would come down.”

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Life Is Good Gets Easy Win In Kelso At Belmont Park

On the heels of his first career defeat in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens at Saratoga, Life Is Good had no trouble finding the winner's circle again in the Grade 2 Kelso Handicap at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Going off as the overwhelming favorite in the short field of four, Life Is Good broke fastest from the gate, going out to a one-length lead over Chance It in the race's opening strides. On the Belmont backstretch, the favorite ran easily on the front, with second-choice Chance It stalking, but, midway down the backstretch, Manny Franco on Chance It pulled up, leaving the race with three horses to complete the contest.

It was no contest from gate to wire for Life Is Good. On the far turn, he drifted out a bit from the rail, but had no trouble straightening out to hold off Fort Peck and Doubly Blessed in the stretch. Jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. asked the favorite to kick away early, putting five lengths between him and the rest of the field before wrapping up on Life Is Good and finishing 5 1/2 lengths in front at the wire.

The final time for the one-mile G2 Kelso Handicap was 1:34.37. Find this race's chart here.

Life Is Good paid $2.10 and $2.10. Fort Peck paid $6.10.

“He's been training super and we were looking forward to getting him going again. I thought he was very impressive,” trainer Todd Pletcher said after the Kelso. “I left it in Irad's [Ortiz, Jr.] hands. We weren't going to send him away from there, but it looked on paper like he was the main speed. What we were focused on was getting him to settle a little bit, stay on the rail and relax. I thought he did that beautifully today.”

“He's a nice horse. He went fast and he kept going. He did everything smooth and easy,” Ortiz, Jr. told the NYRA Press Office after the race. “As soon as I asked him, he took off. He responded really well.”

Owned by China Horse Club and WinStar Farms and trained by Todd Pletcher, Life Is Good is a 3-year-old colt by Into Mischief out of the Distorted Humor mare Beach Walk. Bred by Gary and Mary West Stables, he was purchased by China Horse Club and Maverick Racing from Paramount Sales for $525,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. With his Kelso victory, Life Is Good has four wins in five starts lifetime.

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