Last summer trotting geldings Magical Journey and Radical Roy made their debut in the Ontario Sires Stakes program — a milestone just 30 per cent of Ontario Sired horses are able to reach as two-year-olds — and by season’s end they had both achieved a modest level of success on the provincial circuit.
Radical Roy scored a win at the Grassroots level and both horses qualified for the two-year-old trotting colt and gelding Grassroots Semi-finals, where their stakes season came to a close. Royalty For Life son Radical Roy, a $20,000 US yearling, earned $11,650 from one win in eight starts and Kadabra son Magical Journey, a $30,000 US purchase, banked $35,623 from three seconds and one third in nine starts.
As the 2019 Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) season gets set to begin the pair has already returned to the racetrack, both a little bigger and stronger than they were at two, and trainer John Bax is hoping they are ready to once again carve out a niche on the provincial circuit.
“He’s come back pretty well,” said Bax of Magical Journey, who will make his sophomore OSS debut in the Gold Series season opener at Flamboro Downs on Sunday, May 19. “He’s maybe a step below the good ones, but we’re hopeful that he can follow the best in the Golds and make good money that way.”
Magical Journey and driver Stephen Byron will start from Post 4 in the second $72,267 Gold division on Sunday, slated as Race 4 on the Confederation Cup undercard. The gelding heads into the test off a trio of sophomore starts at Woodbine Mohawk Park — his first-ever victory in 1:58.4 on April 18, a third-place result on May 2 and a second on May 9.
“We thought we’d give him a chance. He’s handy. He seems to be able to handle a half-mile,” said the trainer, whose Bax Stable shares ownership of the trotter with Gaelic Stable of Sharon, ON and Gordon Wright of Charlotte, MI.
Radical Roy will have to wait until the June 5 Grassroots event at Grand River Raceway to make his sophomore provincial debut. The long-legged youngster has made four starts this season at Flamboro Downs, logging one second, one third, one fourth and one fifth.
“We started him out at Flamboro thinking it might be easier for him there. Last year he was just kind of going, he wasn’t racing other horses. He’s starting to learn now how to take on another horse, so that’s the positive,” said Bax. “He’s still a little hyper. Last year he’d get excited and wear himself out and he’s better this year, but it still doesn’t take a whole lot to get him worked up.
“I think we’re looking forward to him being pretty competitive in the Grassroots. I don’t see him stepping up to the Gold, but if he’s one of the better ones in the Grassroots that’s fine.”
Bax Stables, Don Allensen of Wyoming, Peter Porter of Port Dover, ON and Richard Gutnick of Blue Bell, PA share ownership of Radical Roy.
While they may not be travelling to OSS events together this season, Magical Journey and Radical Roy will still spend most of their non-race days together, enjoying the outdoor life in their paddock at the Bax Farm outside of Campbellville, ON.
“Oh yeah, they hang out together. They’ve got a pretty tough life,” said Bax with a chuckle.
Sunday’s program at Flamboro Downs features the three-year-old trotting colts and geldings in Gold Series action in Races 1, 4 and 6, the three-year-old pacing colts and geldings in Grassroots action in Races 3, 5, 7, 8, and 9 and some of North America’s top four-year-old pacers in the $188,500 Confederation Cup final in Race 10. Among the competitors in the Confederation Cup final are last year’s OSS Gold and Grassroots champions Jimmy Freight and Pretty Handsome who will start from Posts 2 and 3, respectively. Post time for the first race is 6:55 pm.
Complete entries for Flamboro Downs’ May 19 Confederation Cup program are available at https://standardbredcanada.ca/racing/entries/data/e0519flmdn.dat.
Read about the path that led Magical Journey and Radical Roy to the Ontario Sires Stakes:
Part One: From Lexington to Campbellville
Part Two: Building a Racehorse
Part Three: Early Successes and Surprises
Part Four: Joining the 30 Per Cent
Photo: Paul MacDonell steers Magical Journey to his first lifetime win at Woodbine Mohawk Park on April 18, 2019. (New Image Media photo)
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