Good Magic, honored as the champion two-year-old male of 2017 after taking the Breeder’s Cup Juvenile (G1), returned to Belmont Park on Sunday, one day following a fourth-place effort in the 143rd running of the Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico.
“The horse got in about 9:30 (a.m. [ET]) and so far looks good,” trainer Chad Brown said. “We put him in a difficult situation in the race and he did the best he could. It was tough circumstances but that’s horse racing. He tried hard.”
Good Magic entered the Preakness off a runner-up finish in the Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs on May 5. He just held second that day by a head over Audible, who skipped the Preakness but is under consideration for the 150th Belmont Stakes (G1) on June 9.
Good Magic, however, is not expected to show up for the third jewel of the Triple Crown. Instead, the Curlin chestnut could target either the July 29 Haskell Invitational (G1) at Monmouth Park or the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga one day earlier.
Grade 1-placed Lone Sailor bettered his eighth-placing from the Kentucky Derby when finishing fifth on Saturday in the Preakness, and was on his way back to the Blue Grass State Sunday for trainer Tom Amoss.
“It’s way too early to think about the Belmont,” Amoss said. “The horse came back fine and he’s on his way to Kentucky.”
Federico Tesio Stakes hero Diamond King was in good order one day after running seventh in the Preakness Stakes. The John Servis trainee returned to Parx Racing on Sunday and will now target either the June 23 Ohio Derby (G3) going nine furlongs at Thistledown or the 1 1/16-mile Indiana Derby (G3) on July 14 at Indiana Grand. Both races are worth $500,000.
“We have a schedule mapped out for him. We’ll see how he comes out of it and whether we’re going to stick to that schedule or go a different route,” Servis said. “As long as he comes out of it good and he’s training good, I think either the Ohio Derby or the Indiana Derby is probably going to be his next start.
“He came out good, very good. He didn’t look any worse for wear,” he added. “It was a big assignment for him, but we got through it. The winner was certainly no surprise.”
Diamond King bumped with eventual third-placer Tenfold before beginning his run rounding the final turn, but leveled off and wound up 12 1/4 lengths behind winner Justify on the wire.
“(Jockey Javier Castellano) had to use him a little bit to get position early on and when it came time to quicken, he picked it up but he said he just couldn’t keep up,” Servis said. “I couldn’t see much. Between the people and the fog, it was hard to see anything. We knew what we were up against going in; that was no secret.
“It takes a special horse. Justify had to work hard yesterday,” the trainer noted. “He looked good last night when he walked by me, but I can tell you from experience they’ll be firing bullets at him at Belmont. Especially with the speed he’s shown, I guarantee you they’re already looking for rabbits.”
Servis had a shot at Triple Crown glory with an undefeated runner of his own thanks to 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Smarty Jones. That colt ended up facing eight rivals and was tested the entire length of the 1 1/2-mile Belmont Stakes before finishing second by a length to 36-1 longshot Birdstone, who had run eighth in the Kentucky Derby and skipped the Preakness prior to showing up for the Belmont.
Tampa Bay Derby (G2) winner and Arkansas Derby (G1) runner-up Quip exited his last-place run in the Preakness well according to trainer Rodolphe Brisset. The bay son of Distorted Humor, who was beaten a total of 45 1/2 lengths, is headed back to Keeneland.
