BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Florida-bred All That Magic, a winner of six of nine starts in 2023, will try to improve on her already stellar year when she goes postward in the $150,000 Autumn Days at Aqueduct Friday. The six-furlong Autumn Days will be run on the turf and has attracted an overflow field of 12 fillies and mares, 3-years-old and older, plus two entered under main track only conditions.
Owned by trainer Kathleen A. Demasi with Spedale Family Racing LLC, All That Magic is the fourth choice on the morning line at 9-2 while Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott will saddle the 3-1 program favorite Poppy Flower for Arnmore Thoroughbreds LLC.
Starting in early June when racing on turf for the first time, All That Magic moved up the conditions ladder with four straight wins starting with a wire to wire victory against $40,000 claiming fillies and mares sprinting five furlongs on the turf at Monmouth Park. She then dominated in two allowance races at the same distance, one at Penn National on June 28 then back at Monmouth Park on July 28, before winning the $104,000 Incredible Revenge going five-and-a-half furlongs at Monmouth Park on Aug. 6 for her first stakes victory.
She had an uncharacteristic off-the-board finish in the Grade 3 Turf Monster against males over a yielding five furlongs on the Parx Racing turf on Sept. 23, but bounced back with a strong effort going five-and-a-half furlongs on the turf against allowance fillies at Keeneland on Oct. 22 in her last start.
All That Magic is by Fast Anna out of Hermione Magic, by Forest Wildcat and was bred in Florida by English Range Farm. She has won six of 10 starts with a second and a third in her career while banking $211,757.
She was purchased for $40,000 by Pewter Stable and Spedale Racing at the 2021 October Breeders’ Sales Spring Sale where she was consigned by Envision Equine. She was also sent through the auction ring as a yearling at OBS in October by Francis and Barbara Vanlangendonck’s Summerfield consignment, but did not meet her reserve.
Making her initial start on the Aqueduct turf course, All That Magic has drawn post one and will be ridden for the first time by Kendrick Carmouche.
Poppy Flower exits a fourth-place finish in the Grade 3 Caress at five-and-a-half furlongs on the turf when she finished just two-and-a-half lengths behind winner Roses for Debra, who took the $150,000 Smart N Fancy at Saratoga in her next start.
A winner of the Grade 3 Intercontinental at Belmont Park going six furlongs on the inner-turf two races ago, Poppy Flower has one start over the Aqueduct grass, having finished third to Goin Good in an upper level, $80,000 optional claiming over six furlongs in her first start of the year on April 14.
Poppy Flower is by Lea out of Nisharora (Ire), by Excellent Art (Ire) and has four wins, five seconds and two thirds in 15 career starts with earnings of $517,030.
Jose Ortiz Jr., who rode her to victory in the Intercontinental and 10 other times, has taken the riding assignment and they will break from post nine.
Others set for the Autumn Days include Lady Milagro, a daughter of Double Diamond Farm stallion First Dude who has jockey Luis Rivera Jr.; Sterling Silver with Javier Castellano aboard, Loon Cry will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., Can’t By Love will tote Trevor McCarthy, Mail Order has Jose Lezcano taking the riding chores, Salvaje with jockey Ruben Silvera, Risk Free and Jose Gomez, Headland with Eric Cancel in the saddle and Adam Beschizza has the mount on Danse Macabre.
Unified Alliance and Hot Fudge are entered for the main track only.
