by Dave Little, Meadowlands Media Relations

East Rutherford, NJ — Bee A Magician shook off the cobwebs after a five-month layoff and stormed home in deep stretch to gun down archrival Shake It Cerry in her 2016 debut as a 6-year-old to win the featured $25,000 Open Handicap Trot on Friday (April 22) at the Meadowlands.

Lisa photo

Bee A Magician was a 1:52 winner in her 2016 debut.

Shake It Cerry, sent off as the 4-5 favorite, made the early lead and was permitted to cut tepid fractions of :28.1 and :57.2 as the field raced single file past the half-mile marker. Gural Hanover vacated the three hole at the five-eighths and came after the leader as Bee A Magician got into the outer flow, gradually making up ground to get into striking position.

At the head of the stretch, after the three-quarters went in 1:25.2, Gural Hanover, the 7-1 fourth choice, came alongside Shake It Cerry, who appeared vulnerable despite the easy fractions. In midstretch, driver Brian Sears tipped Bee A Magician off cover and rolled to an easy three-quarter length score in 1:52. Gural Hanover outlasted Shake It Cerry for second.

The winner returned $5.60 to win as the 9-5 second choice, winning for the 42nd time in 66 starts for trainer Richard Norman and owners Melvin Hartman, Herb Liverman and David McDuffee.

Look for Bee A Magician in the May 8 Mack Lobell Elitlopp Playoff at the Big M, along with JL Cruze, Gural Hanover and Shake It Cerry, with the winner earning a berth in the May 29 Elitlopp in Sweden.

Creatine retired

It was announced Thursday that Creatine was retired due to a suspensory injury. The lifetime earner of $2.1 million will stand stud at Diamond Creek Farm in Pennsylvania.

Katie Said takes F&M Open

Katie Said went an ideal second-over trip and stormed home to take the $25,000 Open Handicap Pace for fillies and mares. The Jimmy Takter trainee got a perfect steer from Brett Miller to win by 1-1/4 lengths over Divine Caroline. Table Talk, the even-money favorite, was third.

The winner paid $9.60 for owners Black Horse Racing of Lebanon, N.J., and went the mile in in 1:50.4.

Carryover climb continues

The 12th race 20-cent Jackpot Super High Five once again was not hit, upping the carryover to $189,475.79 for the next program.

All-source wagering on the 12-race program was $2,415,266.

Live racing resumes at the Meadowlands on Saturday, first race post time is 7:15 p.m.