It has been a successful 2026 season for veteran Woodbine trainer JULIA CAREY, a top notch horsewoman and arguably one of the last few traditional horsepeople at the Ontario track. Earlier this year, Carey was on the Canadian Triple Crown trail with her now-Graded stakes winner Brachetto. On October 18, Carey sent out MAGICAL TRICKSTER to win the Frost King Stakes, becoming the first stakes winner for his young sire Collusion Illusion.
Magical Trickster, a chestnut 2-year-old gelding owned by Derek Chin, had won his career debut at 9 to 5 on Sept. 13, earning a 67 Beyer Speed Figure for a professional-style win. He didn’t have his rider that day, Emma-Jayne Wilson, for the Frost King, a seven-furlong dash for Ontario sired juveniles as Wilson was staying with stakes winner Souper Survivor. It was Pietro Moran who got the mount on Magical Trickster and things could not have gone better for the pair.
Tracking front runner Marvellous Marvin, a smart debut winner for trainer Darwin Banach, Magical Trickster and Souper Survivor were second and third behind the leader who went a modest 22.97 for the first two furlongs but a quicker 45.42 for the half mile. While the chasers were under hard rides on the turn for home as ‘Marvin’ galloped along, the leader suddenly began to tire, paving the way for Magical Trickster to go on by for a 1 3/4 length win in 1:23.25. Marvellous Marvin was second over Souper Survivor.
Magical Trickster earned $63,640 for the win and is one of two winners from just seven named foals for Collusion Illusion, a son of Twirling Candy, who stands at Ballycroy Bloodstock near Loretto, ON.
Collusion Illusion won the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes, Grade 2 Best Pal Stakes and Grade 3 Lazaro Barrera Stakes in his 13-race career.
Trainer Carey said Magical Trickster was a bit too raw when he first came in for training this spring.
“He was a bit too much of a handful when he came in so I had to send him back,” said Carey. “Harold and Jesse Ladouceur did a great job straightening him out. Plus gelding him helped.”
He’s been a little soldier, just perfect and I have had a great rider on him in the morning, Edgard, he’s done a wonderful job with this horse.”
Coincidentally, Carey also trained Magical Trickster’s half brother, Hoochiecoochie Sam, who won his debut in 2017 and went to be a good runner in Manitoba.
Carey is in the midst of her most successful season as far as purse earnings are concerned, currently with upwards of $600,000 from her trainees. She saddled her first horse in the late 1990s.
Owner Chin, who has had a variety of Woodbine trainers, was winning his first stakes race since 2019. He purchased Magical Trickster for $63,000 from the 2025 CTHS Ontario yearling sale.
The gelding is one of the last horses foaled on the grounds of Huntington Stud Farm in Nashville, ON. His dam Samsal has produced a litany of winners including stakes winner Scorching ($413,453) who recently was sold tot he U.S. and finished fifth in his first race for his new owners.
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