Champion Good Magic Retired to Hill ‘n’ Dale

[Wandering Eyes]

Last year’s champion 2-year-old Good Magic (Curlin–Glinda the Good, by Hard Spun) has been retired and will join his sire at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm. The chestnut colt, a $1-million Keeneland September yearling, capped his championship season with a win in the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile for owners e Five Racing Thoroughberds and Stonestreet Stables and trainer Chad Brown. After a third-place finish while making his sophomore debut in the Mar. 3 GII Fountain of Youth S., he tuned up for the GI Kentucky Derby with a victory in the Apr. 7 GII Toyota Blue Grass S. Second behind Justify in the Derby, he battled the Triple Crown winner in the GI Preakness S. before grudgingly settling for fourth on a muddy day at Pimlico. Good Magic rebounded with a dominant victory in the July 29 GI Haskell Invitational. He is currently getting a freshening after a ninth-place effort in the Aug. 25 GI Travers S. On the board in seven of nine starts to date, Good Magic has three wins and earnings of $2,945,000.

“Good Magic is a fantastic addition to our stallion roster,” said John Sikura, president of Hill ‘n’ Dale. “It is rare indeed for a Champion 2-year-old to retain his Grade 1 form at 3, which was witnessed by Good Magic’s narrow defeat by super horse Justify in the GI Kentucky Derby. We sold Good Magic for breeder Stonestreet for $1,000,000 as a yearling and he was a beautiful horse. I remember him as medium sized, a great mover and completely correct. Valiant, supremely talented and by Curlin–breeders will love him.”

Trainer Chad Brown said of the colt, “Good Magic showed incredible talent and durability as I put him through the most demanding campaign of any horse I’ve ever trained. He’s an extremely rare colt and should make a top stallion.”

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