TOM’S MAGIC, the 2025 Breeders’ Stakes winner at Woodbine in September, is on the west coast this weekend, tackling some tough fellow three-year-olds in the $300,000 Hollywood Derby (G1) at Del Mar. The Hollywood Derby is at 1 1/8 miles on turf and Tom’s Magic is number 9, in post eight in the eight-horse field. Antonio Fresu will ride for owners CJ Thoroughbreds and Mo Speed Racing and trainer Michael Stidham.
The Hollywood Derby is race 9 Saturday with a post time of 6:32 p.m. Eastern.
Bred in Ontario by Sean and Dorothy Fitzhenry, Tom’s Magic (Justify) has had his three-year-old campaign carefully plotted by Stidham. The main goal for the large chestnut colt was the King’s Plate on the Tapeta at Woodbine. Despite missing a few races due to bad weather that seemed to follow him around, Tom’s Magic won the Tale of the Cat Stakes in June on the Monmouth turf as his final Plate prep. Unfortunately, the Plate didn’t work out smoothly for Tom’s Magic as he had an awkward start, took a while to get hold of the Tapeta and ended up too far back in the early stages. He closed with a rush to be second.
Tom’s Magic came back to win the 1 1/2 mile Breeders’ Stakes, the third jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown, over Borealis Trail, who would come back to win the Grade 3 Ontario Derby.
Tom’s Magic recently shipped to Fair Grounds, where he has been prepping for the Del Mar race.
“We decided he seems to like a firm turf,” Stidham told Daily Racing Form. “We thought, ‘Let’s go out to California’. We’re almost assured a good, firm course and we can take a shot in the Grade 1. It’s one of the last races for straight ‘three-year-olds’ of the year on turf.
“He’s been one of those horses that has steadily progressed,” Stidham said. “He was immature mentally and physically early on. He’s developed nicely over the year.”
Tom’s Magic is 7-to-2 in the morning line odds behind favoured Test Score, winner of the Grade 1 Belmont Derby in July and the Grade 2 Twilight Derby in his most recent start.
Tom’s Magic is not eligible for Sovereign Award consideration for 2025 as he raced just twice in Canada.
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