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Tizamagician Overpowers Competition In Tokyo City Cup At Santa Anita

An attentive second to the quarter pole, Richard Mandella's Tizamagician took charge from there as he romped to a massive nine-length win in Sunday's Grade 3, $100,000 Tokyo City Cup at Santa Anita. Ridden by Flavien Prat, the 4-year-old colt by Tiznow got a marathon mile and one half in 2:32.45.

With a backstretch start and a short run to the far turn, Edwin Maldonado, aboard Zestful, gunned his mount to the lead from his outside post, with Tizamagician content to sit a close second for the first mile and a quarter.

“I wanted the other horse to clear me, because you can't take a hold of my horse,” said Prat, Santa Anita's runaway leading rider with 87 wins and 15 added money triumphs. “He settled very nice and it looks like a mile and a half is a great distance for him.”

Second in last year's Tokyo City on Sept. 27 and most recently fifth, beaten four lengths going a mile and one quarter in the G1 Santa Anita Handicap on March 6, Tizamagician, who was paired for the first time today with Prat, picked up his first-ever stakes win and paid $3.20, $2.20 and $2.10 as the 3-5 favorite in a field of five older horses.

Owned by racing syndicate MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm, LLC, Tizamagician picked up $60,000 for the win, increasing his earnings to $287,851. With the win, Tizamagician, who is out of the Dixie Union mare Magic Union, improved his overall mark to 16-4-6-0.

“Not only does (the MyRacehorse syndicate) 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,” said Mandella, who along with Prat, collected his third career win in the Tokyo City Cup. “We need people here, it's not the same without them. It's so strange to win races and nobody is here to cheer and celebrate with. It means everything in the world that people are here.”

Off as the second choice at 7-2, Zestful was easily second, finishing 2 ¾ lengths in front of Lure Him In and paid $3.40 and $2.20.

Lure Him In, who was third throughout, finished 12 lengths in front of Ronamo and paid $2.20 to show with Juan Hernandez up.

Fractions on the race were 24.12, 47.87, 1:13.01, 1:38.66 and 2:05.18.

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Addition Of Blinkers Helps Shaker Shack Score In NYSS Park Avenue Division

Roddy Valente and Darlene Bilinski's Shaker Shack fended off a stretch challenge from Shesadirtydancer to capture the 28th running of the $200,000 Park Avenue division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

The dark bay or brown daughter of Bustin Stones, who stands at Waldorf Farm for $2,500, arrived at the 6 ½-furlong event for eligible New York-sired sophomore fillies off a sharp second-place finish to next out winner Betsy Blue on a muddy Big A main track on March 25.

Exiting post 5 under Jose Ortiz, who was crowned leading rider of the 11-day boutique Aqueduct spring meet, Shaker Shack broke sharply and matched strides with Laura's Bellamy to her inside as the pair went a swift 22.07 seconds for the opening quarter-mile over the fast main track.

Around the far turn, the leaders were met with a new challenger as Shesadirtydancer loomed large from the three path. Laura's Bellamy relinquished as the field reached the quarter-pole leaving Shaker Shack and Shesadirtydancer by themselves on the front end. The two fillies duked it out until Shaker Shack edged clear inside the sixteenth-pole and secured the 1 ½-length victory in a final time of 1:17.75.

A late-rallying Bustin Bay finished another four lengths back in third. Laura's Bellamy, Jill's A Hot Mess and 3-5 post time favorite Laobanonaprayer completed the order of finish.

The triumph provided veteran conditioner Patrick Reynolds with his first stakes win since Baby J captured the Catinca in October 2013 at Belmont Park.

Reynolds said Trevor McCarthy, who piloted Shaker Shack in her three prior starts, suggested the addition of blinkers for the Park Avenue.

“We worked her out of the gate and Trevor suggested that [adding blinkers]. Jose is so good out of the gate and he knows how to relax them. The blinkers helped,” Reynolds said. “She's not one of those horses who comes over here prancing and dancing and really tough. I put the rider up and she's all business.

“She's a perfect filly to have and easy to train,” Reynolds added. “The owners have been terrific. They bred her and she's part of the New York program. It was their decision to come here and I went along with it. I knew the 1-horse [Laobanonaprayer] was tough, but it was a little short for her. We got away and hung on and won.”

Reynolds said Shaker Shack shows similar determination during morning training.

“Even in her workouts, she would hang in there with $50,000 horses before she ever ran,” Reynolds said. “I worked her with an older horse before I ran her and she was game all the way.”

Ortiz concurred that blinkers moved Shaker Shack up.

“The blinkers helped a lot,” Ortiz said. “A lot of credit to Trevor who told me that the blinkers would help her a lot, and they did. Patrick did an amazing job like he always does. He doesn't have a lot of horses, but I sure love to ride for him.”

Shaker Shack more than doubled her lifetime earnings to $156,445 through a 5-2-2-0 record.

Bred in the Empire State by Roddy Valente and Dr. Jerry Bilinksi, Shaker Shack is out of the Disco Rico mare Disco Shaker, making her a full-sister to stakes-winner Bustin Out.

Live racing resumes on Thursday for Opening Day of the spring/summer meet at beautiful Belmont Park with an eight-race program. First post is 1:00 p.m. Eastern.

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Bubbles On Ice Makes Impressive U.S. Debut In Memories Of Silver

Glen Hill Farm, Madaket Stables and Cheyenne Stables' Bubbles On Ice was victorious in her U.S. debut, edging Fluffy Socks by a head in Sunday's $100,000 Memories of Silver, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for sophomore fillies at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

Trained by Christophe Clement and expertly piloted by Hall of Famer Javier Castellano, the Irish-bred Starspangledbanner chestnut was exiting back-to-back Group 1 sprints at the Curragh where she finished sixth in the Phoenix in August and fourth in the Moyglare Stud in September.

Kendrick Carmouche sent 21-1 Frost Me to the lead through an opening quarter-mile in 25.17 seconds under moderate pressure from 59-1 Bravo Regina as Castellano angled Bubbles On Ice to the rail from the outermost post 7, saving ground from last on the heels of rail-riding 2-1 favorite Fluffy Socks.

Frost Me continued to lead the parade down the backstretch with Bravo Regina to her outside in second. Ingrassia and Sleek Lynx tracked in tandem behind the longshot leaders, while Castellano waited patiently at the back of the pack aboard Bubbles On Ice as the half-mile was clocked in 51.09.

Oyster Box rallied outside of Bravo Regina into the final turn as Bubbles On Ice followed suit with an outside move to get the jump on Fluffy Socks, who was still saving ground on the rail through three-quarters in 1:15.33.

Bubbles On Ice quickly picked off her rivals to emerge with the lead at the stretch call, but a game Fluffy Socks was angled to the center of the course by Irad Ortiz, Jr. and loomed a serious threat. Bubbles On Ice and Fluffy Socks, with very little between them, battled gamely through the final strides with Bubbles On Ice prevailing in a final time of 1:45.14 over the firm course.

It was three lengths back to Sleek Lynx in third, who won a show photo by a nose over Oyster Box. Ingrassia, Bravo Regina and Frost Me rounded out the order of finish. Main-track only entrant Song of Innocence was scratched.

Clement, who won the 2019 edition with Feel Glorious, said a ground-saving trip was key.

“The first time out, I thought it was better that she was covered up,” said Clement. “She got a great ride and saved ground. She had a great-turn-of-foot. There was a small question mark on the distance, but she showed her form this afternoon.”

Bubbles On Ice prepared for her U.S. debut at Payson Park in Florida where she recorded nine works dating back to January 4.

“When she first came here, I didn't think she was handling the turns very well in her breezes,” said Clement. “Her past two works were good at Payson Park, so I was happy with that. She answered the question about the distance this afternoon. I'm delighted.”

Castellano captured the $100,000 Woodhaven with Hard Love on Saturday's Big A card and completed a sweep of the weekend turf stakes with a masterful ride.

The Hall of Fame rider said he was impressed with how Bubbles On Ice negotiated the tighter turns of the Aqueduct inner turf.

“What really impressed me the most was the way she did it off a slow pace and tight corners,” said Castellano. “She should stretch out pretty well. It's hard for horses to come off the pace when they go as slow as they did up front, and she did it well. I really like this filly. I think she has a bright future ahead of her.”

Bred in Ireland by Michael Begley, Bubbles On Ice banked $55,000 in victory while improving her record to two wins from five starts. She returned $9.80 for a $2 win ticket.

Live racing shifts to Belmont Park for the 48-day spring/summer meet which begins Thursday, April 22 and runs through Sunday, July 11. First post on Thursday's eight-race Opening Day card is 1 p.m.

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$40,000 Claim Devious Mo Makes Big Step Up In Class For Rodriguez And Repole

Repole Stable's Devious Mo made a triumphant stakes debut on Saturday, besting Sinful Dancer by three-quarters of a length in the $200,000 New York Stallion Stakes Series Times Square for sophomores at Aqueduct in Ozone Park, N.Y.

After needing seven starts to break his maiden, trainer Rudy Rodriguez has seen his charge now win two in a row, building on an 8 3/4-length score in a maiden contest going six furlongs in a $25,000 maiden claimer on March 13 at the Big A. That effort netted the Laoban colt a then personal-best 79 Beyer Speed Figure. He set a new high by garnering an 84 for his forwardly placed effort going 6 1/2 furlongs on Saturday, with Rodriguez saying on Sunday morning that he came out of it in good order.

“He looked good and comfortable this morning,” Rodriguez said.

Claimed for $40,000 out of a fourth-place effort in November at the Big A, Devious Mo has already made four starts at Aqueduct for Rodriguez to start his 3-year-old campaign. After his maiden-breaking effort, Rodriguez, with Repole's urging, decided to face him against more challenging competition, and he responded under a strong ride by Manny Franco to top a seven-horse field.

“We were just taking a chance since he was eligible for the race and it looked like it may have been a bit of a softer spot,” said Rodriguez. “We knew it was a big jump up to ask him to run in a stakes after being in for $25,000, and we were a little concerned breaking out of the one hole. But he did it the right way. Manny rode him great.”

Devious Mo, bred in New York by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds, gave Rodriguez his second stakes win of 2021, adding to Pete's Play Call in the $100,000 Gravesend on January 2.

Rodriguez could be aiming for greater stakes glory during the upcoming Belmont Park spring/summer meet, with E.V. Racing Stable's Water White a possibility for the Grade 2, $200,000 Ruffian for older fillies and mares going one mile on Big Sandy Sunday, May 2.

Water White, who capped her 3-year-old campaign with a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Acorn on Belmont Stakes Day June 20, returned from a nearly 10-month layoff to best a five-horse optional claiming field by four lengths going a one-turn mile on a sloppy and sealed track on April 1 at Aqueduct.

Rodriguez said Water White could build off a successful sophomore effort, which saw her run second in the Busanda before winning the $250,000 Busher Invitational. In the Acorn, she earned in a black type in a race won by Gamine, the eventual Eclipse Award Champion Female Sprinter last year.

In January, Water White returned to the work tab for the first time in six months and took the next step with her victory earlier this month, earning a 72 Beyer. While Rodriguez doesn't have a definitive next spot picked out for the Conveyance filly, the Ruffian could mark her third career start at Belmont, with both previous efforts coming at the one-turn mile, including a runner-up effort in her second career start in October 2019.

“She looks good. She came back real nice,” Rodriguez said. “We worked her a half-mile the other morning. We'll nominate to the Ruffian but we'll keep our options open.”

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