Tom’s Magic Pounces in Tale of the Cat, Eyes King’s Plate
Tom’s Magic, a 3-year-old colt by Justify, captured Saturday’s edition of the Tale of the Cat Stakes at Monmouth Park, marking his third win in five career starts for CJ Thoroughbreds.
The colt sat a perfect trip, tracking in third just behind longshot pacesetters Quizler and Cool Intentions. The pace was honest—an opening quarter in 24.01 and a half in 49.07—and jockey Axel Concepcion saved ground while tucked inside along the rail. He angled out on the far turn into open space, and Tom’s Magic responded with professionalism, switching leads on cue and pulling clear from the field. He came home in 1:42.68 for the mile and a sixteenth over firm turf. Jorge Duarte Jr.-trained Outrunner closed late and edged Soleil Volant by a head to complete the exacta.
Trainer Michael Stidham was pleased with the performance, especially after a somewhat disappointing effort last out at Keeneland.
“He had trained really well since that last race, and at Keeneland the turf was real soft that day, so I think that was a good excuse for him,” Stidham said. “Getting back on a firm course today was a key factor.”
Tom’s Magic was exiting the Grade 3 Transylvania at Keeneland, where he faced tough company including graded stakes winners Test Score and Scipio. The drop in class was evident, and bettors took notice, sending him off as the heavy 3/5 favorite. A return to graded stakes now appears likely, with Stidham eyeing the King’s Plate at Woodbine in August as a potential target.
“We’re hoping we’ll be healthy and in good shape for the King’s Plate,” Stidham said. “That’s what our main goal has been all year for him.”
It was a masterful, ground-saving ride from Axel Concepcion, the 2023 Eclipse Award-winning Apprentice Jockey. It marked his second stakes win of the meet after guiding Bracket Buster to victory in the Pegasus Stakes earlier this month. With this win in Monmouth Park’s local prep for the Grade 1 Haskell in July, Concepcion is likely to retain the mount as he looks to pull off a major upset in what’s expected to be a deep and talented field.
Due to a strangles outbreak at Saratoga, several New York-based horses were scratched, reducing the field from 10 to 7. The most notable scratch was Chad Brown’s Uncatalyzed, who had been installed as the 3/1 morning-line favorite and figured to take significant betting support. With several top contenders out, the race set up perfectly for Tom’s Magic—who took all the money and proved he was the right play.
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Dom Polcino is a contributing writer for Sports Illustrated’s On SI, where he covers all things horse racing. A 2021 graduate of Temple University’s Klein College of Media and Communication, Dom has been betting on sports and horses since 2017. When he’s not glued to the TV and rooting home the final leg of a Pick-5, you can find him cheering on his beloved Philadelphia Phillies or soaking up the sun and fishing in his hometown of Seaside Park, NJ.
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