January 5, 2024 - Tampa Bay Downs, Race 6, Msw, USD $53,000, 6F
1st Dam: Ari the Adventurer
2st Dam: Wild Catseye
2st Dam: A Real Eye Opener
Owner: LSU Stables
Breeder: Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY)
Trainer: Christophe Clement
LSU Stables' Ari's Magic (c, 3, Good Magic-Ari the Adventurer, by Pioneerof the Nile) looked to be spinning his wheels for the better part of the opening half-mile of his Friday unveiling at Tampa Bay Downs, but surged to the front under a massive head of steam with a furlong to race and widened from there to earn 'TDN Rising Star' honors.
Samy Camacho was named to ride, but it was Oisin Murphy at the controls aboard the 9-10 pick, who bounced alertly from gate seven, but was almost immediately under a ride, with just two of his eight rivals behind him through the opening exchanges. Busily ridden into the turn, the $150,000 Keeneland September yearling turned $725,000 OBS March breezer continued to chart a wide course on the bend, but was making some forward progress.
Still with plenty of work to do when five or perhaps six paths off the inside running rail in upper stretch, Ari's Magic found his best stride, inhaled pacesetting Snowname (The Big Beast) just inside the eighth pole and skipped away to graduate by four lengths before going farther clear on the gallop out. The debuting Vino Santo (Bucchero) sat an inside trip and boxed on well for second while no menace to the winner. Ari's Magic is a third 'Rising Star' for his Hill 'n' Dale-based stallion.
Ari's Magic's sales history is similar to that of his dam's, who fetched $52,000 as a Keeneland September yearling back in 2012 before blossoming into a $350,000 OBS purchase by the Stonestreet brass. Herself a 6 3/4-length debut winner for Todd Pletcher in July 2013, Ari the Adventurer placed in two subsequent starts but had her racing career cut short and joined the broodmare band at Stonestreet. Having produced two-time stakes winner Adventurous Lady (Kantharos), MSW, $143,876, she is also the dam of the latter's progressive 5-year-old full-brother Kanthari, a $220,000 KEESEP yearling and $575,000 OBS March grad, who looks to be on a stakes trajectory after impressively winning in Gulfstream allowance company a short time following Ari's Magic's score.
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