Magic Cross Takes Off-Turf P.G. Johnson

James S. Karp's Magic Cross outdueled Takemetothebeach en route to a prominent score in the Aug. 30 off-the-turf $150,000 P.G. Johnson, contested at one-mile out of the Wilson Chute for juvenile fillies, at Saratoga Race Course. The complexion of the race was changed when Miz Sense, the even-money favorite at the time, unseated jockey Jose Ortiz at the gate and ran loose before being collared by the outrider and subsequently scratched. Both Ortiz and Miz Sense walked off under their own power. Magic Cross, who was slated to make her turf debut, inherited the favorite role and exited the inside post at odds of 3-5 under jockey Junior Alvarado, who will be honored with the Mike Venezia Award in a special ceremony to be held Saturday on-track in the winner's circle. Villi Olento was hustled from the gate by Manny Franco, but Magic Cross utilized her natural speed to mark the opening quarter-mile in :24.16 over the fast main track with Takemetothebeach in third and Dancing Spirit settled last of the field of four. Magic Cross maintained her lead through a half-mile in :47.39 as Rosario Montanez urged Takemetothebeach into second position with Villi Olento retreating. Magic Cross and Takemetothebeach raced in tandem through the final turn as Dancing Spirit tried and failed to get involved from third position. Magic Cross drifted wide off the turn and quickly put away Takemetothebeach, powering to the wire a 4 1/2-length winner in a final time of 1:40.15. Takemetothebeach held second by 4 3/4-lengths over Dancing Spirit with Villi Olento rounding out the order of finish. The Mott-trained Gala Brand, who will take on the boys in the Aug. 31 With Anticipation (G3T), was scratched, along with Madame Mischief, Cynane, Brocknardini, She Feels Pretty, and Hard to Justify. Magic Cross, a $112,500 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, graduated impressively on debut when drawing off to a 7 1/4-length score in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight July 8 at Belmont Park. She followed with a distant fourth-place finish in the 6 1/2-furlong Adirondack (G3) Aug. 6 at Saratoga. "We were going to run this filly one way or another," Mott said. "We scratched one and ran one and it turned out well. Mott said Magic Cross could again target turf in the $200,000 Miss Grillo (G2T) Oct. 1 at Belmont at the Big A, which offers a "Win and You're In" berth to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) Nov. 3 at Santa Anita Park. "I would pursue a turf start with her. I think she's worthy and I'm not sure what surface she'd be better on," Mott said. "I need to try the turf to see if she moves forward on that. It could [be the Miss Grillo]. That's a possibility. There's only several stakes around on the turf and that would be one of them." Magic Cross, by Good Magic, is out of the Tiznow mare Be Jeweled, who is a half-sister to both the turf stakes-winner Mohs and multiple stakes-placed main track runner Grandaria. Bred in Kentucky by Phil Hatfield and Christine Hatfield, Magic Cross banked $82,500 in victory while improving her record to 2-0-0 from three starts. She returned $3.30 for a $2 win bet.