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Having recently produced the very first foal by Wasabi’s stallion Force the Pass (a first-year turf distance horse), Magical Point will switch to the opposite end of the spectrum for 2021 when she’s bred back to the highly-proven veteran and multiple record-setting sprinter Weigelia.
Weigelia won 13 of 48 starts from 2YO through 7YO, including the Grade 3 Kenny Noe Jr. Handicap and the Grade 3 Carry Back Stakes plus an additional half-dozen dirt stakes races — not to mention setting new course records on the turf at both Belmont and Monmouth — and he placed in 20 more races. At stud, despite being the only stakes winner by a stallion who never achieved black-type, Weigelia has sired 7 stakes winners, and his starters have earned an average of more than $82,000. His 1.36 AEI compared to a 1.05 CI demonstrates that he is moving his mares way up, which makes him very easy to use with any mare.
We like him for Magical Point specifically for a couple of reasons — firstly, despite her own relatively stout pedigree, her best foals so far have been quicker, sprinter and miler types with plenty of surface versatility, and Weigelia will play into those traits given his own quickness and fondness for both turf and dirt.
Pedigree-wise, there are reasons to think this match will work well also, in that Magical Point’s dam carries three crosses of Turn-To in her 4th generation, and Weigelia brings another strain of Turn-To. Stacking of Turn-To blood has worked very well for the stallion career of Include (a full-brother to Magical Point’s dam) and we think it could work just as well in reverse here, especially since Magical Point’s very close relative Tonichi (by Point Given and out of a full-sister to Magical Point’s dam) has produced the talented multiple stakes winner Tricky Hat by a Turn-To line stallion.
Additionally, Point Given as a broodmare sire has worked very well with the Danzig sire-line (Grade 1 winner Victory to Victory and Grade 2 winner Pomeroys Pistol are bred this way), while Weigelia has had plenty of success with Mr. Prospector-line mares in his own stud career.
All of which points, we hope, to a very successful offspring from this pairing to be born in 2022!
Weigelia wins the G3 Kenny Noe Jr. Handicap
Weigelia sets a new course record on Belmont’s turf
Weigelia wins the Jack Dudley Sprint Stakes
Weigelia wins the Ponche Handicap