Zipse: Sons of Good Magic impress on Kentucky Derby trail

As a heavy rain pelted the twin spires above, the previous season’s champion 2-year-old Good Magic had the entire stretch to reel in the undefeated Justify in the 2018 Kentucky Derby. But that was not to be over the sloppy Churchill Downs racing surface.

The winner raced on to Triple Crown glory in only two more career starts, and Good Magic raced three more times, with an easy victory in the Grade 1 Haskell being his best result. Retired soon after an infection was discovered following the Travers, he went to Hill 'n' Dale Farms to begin his stallion career alongside his two-time champion sire Curlin.

Although the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile-winning son of Curlin fell just short in both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, also over a sloppy track, Good Magic already has found more success from the stallion barn. Among his first crop, his sons Mage won the Kentucky Derby and Grade 1 winner Blazing Sevens just missed in the Preakness.

Off his excellent first-crop success, the stud fee of Good Magic was hiked to $125,000 and if this weekend is any indication, he could be primed for another strong run on the Triple Crown trail. Far apart in both location and experience, Muth and Ari’s Magic each looked like horses to watch as we race toward the 2024 Kentucky Derby.

Muth, of course, was the established runner of the pair. A $2 million 2-year-old-in-training purchase by Zedan Racing Stables, he had run well in four starts as a juvenile for trainer Bob Baffert. An easy debut winner at Santa Anita in June, it has been graded stakes ever since for the bay colt out of the Uncle Mo mare Hoppa.

A second-place finish in the Best Pal Stakes (G3) at Del Mar in his second career start was followed by a strong win in the American Pharoah Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita in his first try around two turns. In the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, he had no answer for the big run by Fierceness but held well to finish second.

Sent off as a big favorite on Saturday, he made his sophomore debut look easy by stalking and pouncing under rider J.J. Hernandez. Hitting the wire 2 3/4 lengths clear, Muth looked very professional in winning the San Vicente Stakes (G2).

With the Kentucky Derby suspension of Baffert still in play this season, it will be interesting to see where Muth is headed. The seven-furlong San Vicente offers no Kentucky Derby qualifying points. If he is Derby bound, he will need to change trainers in time to qualify. If he stays with Baffert, the Preakness likely would be the major goal of the spring.

LSU Stables' Ari's Magic, out of the Pioneerof the Nile mare Ari the Adventurer, made his career debut on Friday at Tampa Bay Downs. It wasn’t a graded-stakes race at one of the nation’s big tracks, but it was impressive nonetheless.

A $150,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase and then $725,000 2-year-old-in-training buy, he came into the six-furlong maiden race off a series of works at Payson Park Training Center for trainer Christophe Clement.

Sent off at the 9-10 favorite in a field of eight, Ari’s Magic looked to be going nowhere fast before flashing a notable turn of foot on the turn. Under an Oisin Murphy ride, the bay colt rallied wide spinning out of the turn and took command in mid-stretch. He won going away by 4 1/2-lengths and widened that margin on the gallop out.

Muth and Ari’s Magic, in different ways, each impressed me on consecutive afternoons. The two colts on opposite ends of the country both appear to have their sire on the Triple Crown trail again.

A top-notch runner who had the misfortune of being born the same year as Justify, Good Magic might be turning into an even better sire.