Magic Weisner
Encyclopedia
Magic Weisner was an American
Thoroughbred
racehorse
. A descendant of Bold Forbes
, he was sired by Ameri Valay by breeder Nancy H. Alberts. Magic Weisner was a multiple graded stakes winner but will be remembered most for his gutty runner-up finish in the 2002 Preakness Stakes
and his serious public battle to overcome the West Nile Virus
when there was little known about the disease.
Magic Weisner ran a solid two year old season, winning his first race in his third attempt. He finished off the board in his first two starts and then steadily progressed with every race thereafter. He trained at Bowie Race Course and shipped up to Laurel in the summer of 2001 and broke his maiden. He followed that up with an allowance win in late August of that year. Then his trainer Nancy Alberts decided to take on stakes company and entered Magic Weisner in the Maryland Juvenille Championship Stakes a nine furlong dirt race at Laurel Park and he won it going away. He finished the year with three wins in five starts.
all at Laurel Park Race Course. In the Federico Tesio Stakes
a race that many locals call the "Preakness Trial" at Pimlico Race Course
, Magic Weisner finished a hard closing second to Smoked Em a highly regarded three year-old trained by Todd Pletcher
. Five straight wins and a strong placing in the Tesio was exactly the results that Alberts needed to see in order to stamp Magic's ticket to enter the 127th Preakness Stakes.
Magic Weisner was listed as the second longest shot in a full Preakness field of thirteen horses, many of them graded stakes winners. The favorites in the Preakness were the top three finishers in the Kentucky Derby
and its beaten favorite. War Emblem
, Proud Citizen, Medaglia d'Oro
and Harlan's Holiday garnered a vast majority of the public's support. Magic Weisner was listed at 40-1 on the morning line but dropped to 33-1 at post time because of a deep local following and empathy for Albert's cinderella story. As the gates opened, speedster Menacing Dennis rushed to the lead followed by War Emblem and Booklet going into the first turn as Magic Weisner lagged far back in eleventh of thirteen. With three furlongs to go War Emblem took over the lead followed closely by Proud Citizen, Madaglia d'Oro and Harlan's Holiday. Coming down the stretch it was obvious that War Emblem and Proud Citizen were going to finish one-two. Then in last 110 yeards Magic Weisner made a frantic rush and rallied from far back to finish second to War Emblem
by a half length passing that year's top performers and Eclipse finalists like they were standing still in the grade one American Classic Preakness Stakes.
Magic Weisner returned to run fourth in the grade one Belmont Stakes
losing to longshot Sarava
. Magic then captured the grade two Ohio Derby
by a neck over Wiseman's Ferry, who carried him very wide, and The Judge Sez Who finished third. He then found himself in a familiar position trailing second behind War Emblem by three and a half lengths at the wire in the grade one Haskell Invitational. Late that same year he contracted the West Nile virus while preparing for the grade two Pennsylvania Derby
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As his sophomore season concluded, Magic Weisner either won or placed in six of seven stakes races that he ran in during his 2002 campaign.
on October 11th of that year at Laurel Park. He finished last as the favorite and that would be his swan song of his inspiring career. He briefly rallied for a short-lived comeback in 2004. After several other attempts at a comeback with lackluster results Nancy Albert was forced to retire him in May of 2005.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
racehorse
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
. A descendant of Bold Forbes
Bold Forbes
Bold Forbes was a champion thoroughbred racehorse, winner of the 1976 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes.-Beginnings:...
, he was sired by Ameri Valay by breeder Nancy H. Alberts. Magic Weisner was a multiple graded stakes winner but will be remembered most for his gutty runner-up finish in the 2002 Preakness Stakes
Preakness Stakes
The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...
and his serious public battle to overcome the West Nile Virus
West Nile virus
West Nile virus is a virus of the family Flaviviridae. Part of the Japanese encephalitis antigenic complex of viruses, it is found in both tropical and temperate regions. It mainly infects birds, but is known to infect humans, horses, dogs, cats, bats, chipmunks, skunks, squirrels, domestic...
when there was little known about the disease.
Two year-old season
Nancy Alberts, also Magic Weisner's owner was extra busy in the spring of 1999 amid the whirlwind of events surrounding the horse she bred from a crooked-legged mare named Jazema, which she bought for a token $1 fee because the previous owner had given up on her. That February she nursed Jazema during some difficult times in the late term of her pregnancy. In May, Magic Weisner was born in a very small barn and cared for during the rest of his racing career by Mrs. Alberts.Magic Weisner ran a solid two year old season, winning his first race in his third attempt. He finished off the board in his first two starts and then steadily progressed with every race thereafter. He trained at Bowie Race Course and shipped up to Laurel in the summer of 2001 and broke his maiden. He followed that up with an allowance win in late August of that year. Then his trainer Nancy Alberts decided to take on stakes company and entered Magic Weisner in the Maryland Juvenille Championship Stakes a nine furlong dirt race at Laurel Park and he won it going away. He finished the year with three wins in five starts.
Three year-old season
Trained by owner-breeder Nancy Alberts, Magic Weisner bridged his two and three year old seasons with five straight wins including wins in the Goss Striker Stakes, the Deputed Testamony Stakes and Private Terms StakesPrivate Terms Stakes
The Private Terms Stakes is a race for Thoroughbred horses held in late March at Laurel Park in Maryland. The ungraded stakes race is open to three-year-olds willing to race one mile on the dirt and offers a purse of $75,000. This race is a minor race on the road to the Triple Crown each spring...
all at Laurel Park Race Course. In the Federico Tesio Stakes
Federico Tesio Stakes
The Federico Tesio Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. Contested over a distance of one and one-eighth miles on dirt, it is open to three-year-olds horses....
a race that many locals call the "Preakness Trial" at Pimlico Race Course
Pimlico Race Course
Pimlico Race Course is a horse racetrack in Baltimore, Maryland, most famous for hosting the Preakness Stakes. Its name is derived from the 1660s when English settlers named the area where the facility currently stands in honor of Olde Ben Pimlico's Tavern in London...
, Magic Weisner finished a hard closing second to Smoked Em a highly regarded three year-old trained by Todd Pletcher
Todd Pletcher
Todd Pletcher is a leading American thoroughbred horse trainer. He has won four consecutive Eclipse Awards as outstanding Trainer of the Year, while topping the leader board in purse earnings in 2004, 2005, and 2006. His horse Super Saver won the 2010 Kentucky Derby, the first of his 24 horses...
. Five straight wins and a strong placing in the Tesio was exactly the results that Alberts needed to see in order to stamp Magic's ticket to enter the 127th Preakness Stakes.
Magic Weisner was listed as the second longest shot in a full Preakness field of thirteen horses, many of them graded stakes winners. The favorites in the Preakness were the top three finishers in the Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses, held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The race is one and a quarter mile at Churchill Downs. Colts and geldings carry...
and its beaten favorite. War Emblem
War Emblem
War Emblem was the winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in 2002. His Derby time was 2:01.13. Victor Espinoza was his jockey for the Derby, never having seen the horse until the morning of the race. War Emblem, who went off at 21-to-1 odds, gave trainer Bob Baffert his third Derby...
, Proud Citizen, Medaglia d'Oro
Medaglia d'Oro
Medaglia d'Oro is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by Albert & Joyce Bell, a translation of his Italian name means "Gold Medal." He was sired by Ireland's 1991 Champion 2-Year-Old, El Prado, who was a son of the fourteen-time Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland, Sadler's Wells who in...
and Harlan's Holiday garnered a vast majority of the public's support. Magic Weisner was listed at 40-1 on the morning line but dropped to 33-1 at post time because of a deep local following and empathy for Albert's cinderella story. As the gates opened, speedster Menacing Dennis rushed to the lead followed by War Emblem and Booklet going into the first turn as Magic Weisner lagged far back in eleventh of thirteen. With three furlongs to go War Emblem took over the lead followed closely by Proud Citizen, Madaglia d'Oro and Harlan's Holiday. Coming down the stretch it was obvious that War Emblem and Proud Citizen were going to finish one-two. Then in last 110 yeards Magic Weisner made a frantic rush and rallied from far back to finish second to War Emblem
War Emblem
War Emblem was the winner of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes in 2002. His Derby time was 2:01.13. Victor Espinoza was his jockey for the Derby, never having seen the horse until the morning of the race. War Emblem, who went off at 21-to-1 odds, gave trainer Bob Baffert his third Derby...
by a half length passing that year's top performers and Eclipse finalists like they were standing still in the grade one American Classic Preakness Stakes.
Magic Weisner returned to run fourth in the grade one Belmont Stakes
Belmont Stakes
The Belmont Stakes is an American Grade I stakes Thoroughbred horse race held every June at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. It is a 1.5-mile horse race, open to three year old Thoroughbreds. Colts and geldings carry a weight of 126 pounds ; fillies carry 121 pounds...
losing to longshot Sarava
Sarava
Sarava is an American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the 2002 Belmont Stakes. Sired by the 1984 Breeders' Cup Classic winner Wild Again, he was out of the mare Rhythm of Life, a daughter of Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee and two-time Leading sire in North America,...
. Magic then captured the grade two Ohio Derby
Ohio Derby
The Ohio Derby is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early June at Thistledown in North Randall, Ohio.The Grade III Stakes race for three-year-olds is run on dirt over a distance of 1 and 1/16 miles....
by a neck over Wiseman's Ferry, who carried him very wide, and The Judge Sez Who finished third. He then found himself in a familiar position trailing second behind War Emblem by three and a half lengths at the wire in the grade one Haskell Invitational. Late that same year he contracted the West Nile virus while preparing for the grade two Pennsylvania Derby
Pennsylvania Derby
The Pennsylvania Derby is a race for thoroughbred horses run at Parx Racing and Casino each year. The track's premiere event is open to horses, age three, willing to race on the dirt and as of 2007, offers a purse of $1 million...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As his sophomore season concluded, Magic Weisner either won or placed in six of seven stakes races that he ran in during his 2002 campaign.
Four year-old season
Magic Weisner contracted West Nile Virus late in 2002 and was all but disabled in early in 2003. On opening day in July 2003 at Laurel Park Race Course, the track featured the return of Magic Weisner, the year prior's Preakness runner-up who nearly died of West Nile Virus. Nancy Alberts, his owner, trainer, breeder and exercise rider, brought him back slowly and picked out a seven-furlong race for him on opening day. Her goal was to have him primed for the Maryland Million ClassicMaryland Million Classic
Maryland Million Classic is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in October since 1986 primarily at Laurel Park Racecourse in Laurel, Maryland or at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. To be eligible for the Maryland Million Classic, a horse must be sired by a stallion who stands in...
on October 11th of that year at Laurel Park. He finished last as the favorite and that would be his swan song of his inspiring career. He briefly rallied for a short-lived comeback in 2004. After several other attempts at a comeback with lackluster results Nancy Albert was forced to retire him in May of 2005.