BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Starry Night Racing’s My Favorite Bird travels to his fourth different track in as many races Saturday when the gelded son of Noble Bird leads a trio of Florida-breds into the $275,000 Audubon Stakes at Churchill Downs. Florida-breds Mr Mo’s Magic and Serac are also among the ten 3-year-olds set to go nine-furlongs on the turf. The three Florida-breds also vie for a $4,000 Export Incentive with a victory.
The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association pays Export Incentives directly to breeders for victories by registered Florida-breds who win maiden special weight, allowance and stakes outside Florida in 2026.
Trained by J. Kent Sweezey, My Favorite Bird just missed when second in his last two, both in open stakes going a mile on the turf. He finished a length-and-a-half behind winning Florida-bred Bolero Bay in the $96,000 English Channel on May 2 at Gulfstream Park then two weeks later was just a half-length off winner Turf Star in the $100,000 James W. Murphy at Laurel Park.
My Favorite Bird also looks to avenge a third-place finish behind winner Mr Mo’s Magic and runner-up Serac in the $110,000 Lambholm South Sophomore Turf for Florida-breds racing a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the Tampa Bay Downs grass on March 29.
Since Sweezey claimed My Favorite Bird for $25,000 out of a four-and-three-quarter-length victory in a seven-furlong maiden race in December at Gulfstream, the chestnut has been a model of consistency in five starts. He won a $35,000 optional claiming starter allowance on the grass at Gulfstream in February while never finishing out of the top three in those five races.
The career record for My Favorite Bird reflects two wins, four seconds and two thirds in 11 starts with earnings of $130,400. He is out of Polly, by Brethren and was bred in Florida by Arindel, who consigned him to the 2024 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Winter Mixed Sale. There, Javier E. Gonzalez bought him for $3,500.
My Favorite Bird will have Jose Ortiz in the saddle and breaks from the inside post one. He is 6-1 on the morning line.
Ray Huelsman and Keith Anderson’s Mr Mo’s Magic makes his first appearance since winning the Sophomore Turf at Tampa Bay. He has won two of four starts this year, all at Tampa Bay, including a neck victory in a first condition, $75,000 optional claiming going a mile on February 14.
Mr Mo’s Magic is trained by Lynn Rarick and was purchased by his current ownership team for $50,000 out of the Majestic consignment at the 2025 OBS Spring Sale. He is a two-time graduate of OBS having first sold for $12,000 to Laureles Racing at the 2024 Winter Mixed Sale where he was consigned by Francis and Barbara Vanlangendoncks’ Summerfield.
He had earned $142,780 from three wins in seven stars. Mr Mo’s Magic is by Uncle Chuck out of Magical Flair, by Defrere and was bred in Florida by Gerardo Bello of Ocala.
Jose Ferrer rides Mr Mo’s Magic from post three and they are 12-1 on the morning line.
Serac had yet to win his first career race when second in the Sophomore Turf, but that changed in his next out at Gulfstream. The Nicholas Palmer-trained son of Frosted took a mile-and-one-sixteenth maiden special weight on the turf by four lengths on April 26.
A homebred for David Palmer and Teresa Palmer of Jupiter, Florida, Serac is out of Strike My Fancy by Smart Strike and has earned $61,860 in four career starts.
Mario Gutierrez has the riding assignment form post nine and they are 20-1 in the program.
Rounding out the field are Baytown Dreamer with jockey Danny Sheehy, Tiernanogue will have Tyler Gaffalione aboard, Kravitz will be ridden by John Velazquez, Zeppelin will carry Flavien Prat, Irad Ortiz Jr. captains Touch of Fire, Thousandsticks has Luis Saez taking the call and Vincent Cheminaud guides Zihnal.
Return to the May 27 issue of Wire to Wire
