MID-ATLANTIC REPORT

t had all the earmarks of a —PENSIONERS ON PARADE— His next planned engage- classic Cinderella story. Salt- ment was the Pennsylvania Iof-the-earth Maryland horse- Derby-G2 at Philadelphia woman Nancy Alberts bred Park on Labor Day, but Magic Jazema, a daughter of became strangely ill the Friday Forbes whom she had acquired before, ending up at New for one dollar, to the tough Bolton Center. The alarming local stakes winner Ameri Valay diagnosis was West Nile virus. based entirely on the fact that “They just couldn’t find the two horses had “made eyes another case of West Nile any- at each other” while stabled where,” Alberts said. “And they side-by-side in a Laurel Park looked very seriously. He was at test barn one afternoon. The New Bolton for a month,” she resulting foal, named Magic went on, “and he looked ter- Weisner in honor of the veteri- rible. My sister Linda [Hickman narian who brought him back Meister] lives close by, so she from serious illness as a foal, went to see him every day, and developed into a gutsy rocket I went up as much as I could. ship of a runner who became But when I saw him I would the best horse Alberts has ever say ‘Oh my God. . .’ bred, owned or trained. “He just looked so bad. The bay gelding made six They never thought I was starts as a 2-year-old in 2001, going to lose him, but he went ending his campaign with a through so much. When he win in the Maryland Juvenile came back, we gave him a long Championship Stakes. But it time off. And I put him back was as a sophomore in 2002 in training but shouldn’t have. that Magic Weisner thrust him- But when I did run him, he just self, rider Phil Teator, and a trailed the field, so that was it. somewhat reluctant Alberts I was not going to embarrass into the national spotlight. He WILLIAMS that horse.”

reeled off consecutive victories A. LYDIA Magic Weisner’s record of in the Goss L. Stryker, Deputed 15-7-4-0 and $888,830 was far Testamony and Private Terms bomber, ran away with the sively hard-working Alberts from embarrassing, enabling Stakes. In the Federico Tesio 2002 Run for the Roses and had no point of reference. Alberts to purchase the Stakes at Pimlico that April, he was favored to capture the “Every day I’d go home Sykesville farm she has today. finished a game second after -G1 as well. and my recorder was full. I “I took him home for a a wide trip. Shortly thereaf- When Magic Weisner pow- would call back as many as I while, but then Linda really ter, Alberts was contacted by ered down the Preakness stretch could, but there were 10 or wanted him up there, so he the agent of jockey Richard under new rider Migliore and 11 calls from the media every went. And it’s perfect for him,” Migliore, who had ridden run- missed by just day.” After diligently trying to Alberts said. ner-up Smoked Em. Migliore three-quarters of a length, the answer all letters and e-mails “Up there” is 132-acre Tarad was so impressed with Magic’s Pimlico crowd went berserk. from fans, she pointed Magic Hill Farm in West Chester, Pa., effort in the Tesio that he pur- Alberts’s homebred earned Weisner toward Thistledown’s home of Linda and her hus- sued the opportunity to ride his career-high speed figure Ohio Derby-G2 on July 20. band, Carl J. (Bunny) Meister. him. of 108 in that duel, leaving Never farther back than sec- Turned out with pasture mates Alberts had wisely nominat- Migliore anxious to pilot him ond, he bested Wiseman’s Ferry Melting, a former steeplechas- ed her stable star to the Triple again in the -G1 and The Judge Sez Who with er by Waquoit, and Boomer, Crown, although the Kentucky three weeks later. Bumped at Migliore again in the irons. Meister’s field hunter, Magic Derby-G1 was not part of the the break and forced wide, With his stellar season earn- affirms his status as the resi- plan. Magic Weisner still held on for ing him a berth in Monmouth dent top dog. “I didn’t want to go to the fourth behind , Medaglia Park’s summer classic, the “He’s being a horse, is what Derby,” she said, “because the d’Oro and Sunday Break (Jpn), Haskell Invitational-G1, Magic he’s doing now,” laughed Bunny fields are always too crowded. but ahead of War Emblem, and Alberts rode the wave to Meister. “He’s healthy, he looks I didn’t think he had enough who finished fifth after going the Jersey shore. Guided this great, and the competitiveness earnings anyway, but that didn’t to his knees when the gate time by Mike Luzzi, Magic has never gone away. Even matter. I really never wanted opened. fought hard but crossed the when hacking, he’d work his to go.” The media blitz that fol- wire three and a half lengths way to the front. After all, you -trained War lowed the Triple Crown was behind nemesis War Emblem know, he is Magic Weisner.” Emblem, a nearly black stealth something for which the obses- for the place spot. /Maggie Kimmitt

10 MID-ATLANTIC JULY 2009

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