Can magic help Oh Look Magic in Mohawk Million?

MILTON, ON – The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines magic as “the use of means (such as charms or spells) believed to have supernatural power over natural forces.”

On Saturday September 24 at Woodbine Mohawk Park Glengate Farms homebred Oh Look Magic (Lookslikeachpndale) won’t be able to rely on supernatural assistance, he’ll have to win the third edition of the Mohawk Million on his own strength.

Jim Bullock, the owner of Glengate Farms, purchased a slot in the Mohawk Million in February and Oh Look Magic emerged from a crowded crop of John Bax trained freshman to earn a spot in the sport’s richest race for two-year-olds.

“I have a lot of horses with John Bax, whom I have great regard for,” said Bullock. “I sat down with John, and I said you’re training 21 two-year-olds, one of them has to be good enough for this race. So, I bought the slot, and one of his better ones turned out to be my homebred.”

In seven starts this year Oh Look Magic has a mark of 4-0-1. He started his racing career with back-to-back three-length wins in a baby race and an Ontario Sires Stakes Gold division. He won his William Wellwood elimination and was victorious last time out against Grand Circuit foes in a division of the Champlain.

Matt Bax was in the bike for the Wellwood elimination where Oh Look Magic went off at 26-1 and will sit behind him in the Mohawk Million. Bax helps his father train the gelding and visited Glengate Farms to look at Oh Look Magic when he was a yearling.

“With two-year-old trotters it’s a big advantage to know the horse, sit behind him every day, know his mannerisms, what he likes and what he doesn’t like,” said Bax. “He’s not the easiest horse to get along with, so I think it’s a big advantage knowing him.”

The other nine drivers in the Mohawk Million are a stout bunch. James MacDonald Canada’s leading driver, Dexter Dunn the Pepsi North America Cup winner earlier this year, and leading Mohawk drivers Bob McClure and Louis-Philippe Roy are all in the field.

Bax on the other hand isn’t an everyday driver. He has 72 starts and $163,747 in earnings in 2022. The second lowest number of starts this year among drivers in the field is 562.

“I might not be as good as some of those other guys, but what I lack in experience, I make up for in knowing the horse,” said Bax.

Oh Look Magic has forced himself into the conversation at the top of the two-year-old division this season, despite what some might consider an unproven pedigree. He’s the first winner out of his dam Miami Magic.

Bullock decided to keep him out of the yearling sales, and he is co-owned by Bax Stable and The Cavalier Stable. Along the way there were signs he might outperform what was expected of him.

“When he was a weanling and a yearling on the farm, before he went to John to train, if you went out to the field to look at our yearling colts, he was kind of the leader of the pack out there,” said Bullock.

Bax has also been pleasantly surprised with the horse nicknamed ‘Radar’ because of his trademark floppy ears.

“I was just hoping for a nice (Ontario Sires Stakes) horse that would be competitive in the Golds,” said Bax. “For him to turn out this way for the owners and breeder it’s pretty special just to be where he is so far, let alone in a race of this magnitude.”

This the second year Bullock has purchased a slot in the Mohawk Million, and Oh Look Magic is one of two Glengate Farms owned horses entered in the big race.

Bullock partnered with fellow slot owner Brad Grant, to enter John Bax trainee Proud To Be Lindy.

“I was in it two years ago the first time, and I did it at that point to support Woodbine Entertainment Group who were trying to do something unique and different,” said Bullock. “It’s a unique format. I’ll probably have a better view of (what I think of it) on late Saturday night, or early Sunday morning.”

Proud To Be Lindy and Oh Look Magic will leave the gate beside each other from post two and three. Oh Look Magic has a good of a chance as any horse to be in the mix as the field spins for home.

“He’s no slouch in there,” said Bax. “It will be a competitive race, with different horses coming from every jurisdiction, which always makes the Mohawk Million an interesting race.”

For Saturday’s race program, click here.

For complete race entries, click here.

From the Ontario Sire Stakes