McCall Magic sparkles in Gold Final victory
July 9, 2004,by Sandra Snyder
Rexdale, ON — McCall Magic proved that last week’s elimination victory was no illusion with a commanding victory in Friday night’s C$130,000 Gold Final at Woodbine Racetrack.
The three-year-old trotting filly and driver Steve Condren delivered an impressive performance, sitting on the outside through the last half of the mile and then drawing away in the stretch to a two length victory in 1:563.
“All along she’s proven to me that she’s a pretty nice filly. She’s been coming good back halves and getting into road trouble,” said Condren from the winner’s circle. “Today, I just tried to get her into some kind of flow. It didn’t bother me if she was on the outside. Just the fractions dictated that she didn’t have to race her guts out tonight.”
Favourite Zorgwijk Emani led the fillies through fractions of :28, :581 and 1:272 before yielding to McCall Magic around the final turn and fading through the lane to finish five lengths back in sixth. Silhouette Dream and Ifhallscouldtalk popped out behind McCall Magic heading for the three-quarters and trotted in her wake down the stretch to finish side-by-side in second and third.
The win was McCall Magic’s third straight over the Woodbine oval. The Angus Hall daughter captured a non-winners of two races event on June 22 and delivered an Ontario Sires Stakes record 1:552 effort in last Friday’s elimination round.
“With the job that John (Hayes) has done — the game plan was just to get her into position and not to over-extend her early,” said Condren. “We wanted to let her get tight as the racing goes on.”
John Hayes trains the winner of $118,319 for partners Michael Horgan of Roseneath, Press Time Stable of Tillsonburg and Kim Kaplan of Worcester, Massachusetts.
The Beamsville resident likened Condren’s driving skill to Mozart’s musical prowess after last week’s elimination win and was back at the analogy on Friday.
“She’s got Mozart driving and when you have classical music on your side, you’re on your way,” he quipped. “She’ll get a few days of grass and hopefully we’re back here in two weeks for eliminations for the Canadian Breeders Championship.”
The Canadian Breeders Championship eliminations are slated for July 23 at Woodbine, with the Final going postward eight days later, July 31. The three-year-old trotting fillies resume their Ontario Sires Stakes Gold Series rivalry on August 6 at Flamboro Downs.