Oh Look Magic continued his impressive form by taking the $49,315 Open Handicap Trot for the the third straight week at Miami Valley Raceway, winning in 1:51.3 on Wednesday, Feb. 18.
Floating out from his assigned outside post, Oh Look Magic and driver Chris Page waited for the inside horses to settle their differences and line up single file before pressing on and eventually taking the lead past the quarter in :27.3. From there on, the odds-on favourite never let anyone even get to his wheel as he cruised through fractions of :56.1 and 1:23.3. From the stretch on, only Adamsville Road could pose as a threat as he edged out from the pocket and Luke Hanners urged him on, but Page never touched the whip and had Oh Look Magic under a tight hand drive as he stopped the timer in 1:51.3. Adamsville Road finished second while Sayinwhatimthinkin (Trevor Smith) rallied for third.
Oh Look Magic's winning time stands as the fastest North American trotting mile so far in 2026. Trained by Ron Burke, the Ontario-bred six-year-old Lookslikeachpndale-Miami Magic gelding has already topped six figures in earnings this year while finishing top two in all six of his seasonal starts, with four of those being winning efforts, for Pennsylvania owners Burke Racing Stable and Weaver Bruscemi. The former Grand Circuit stakes winner as a two-year-old who was taught his early lessons by Hall of Famer John Bax now boasts 29 career wins and $930,000 in lifetime earnings.
Stepping up in class to the $43,836 Open II Trot, Fifty Rivers and driver Brett Miller got things going early in the sub-feature, leaving from post three and clearing to the front in a sharp :27. After getting a breather in the second quarter with the half clocked in :56, Fifty Rivers began to face his main challenger in the race as Robert Michael (Trevor Smith) pulled first-up from third and drew within a head as they passed three-quarters in 1:24. As the two drew even as they exited the final turn, they exchanged leads of a nose several times down the stretch with Fifty Rivers eventually hanging on and crossing the wire first in 1:53.3. Robert Michael was second by a very tight nose while the pocket-sitting Herecomescharlie B (Austin Hanners) finished third. The top six in the race were separated by just 1-1/2 lengths.
For Fifty Rivers, the win was his second in a row and his second in three starts since joining the Antonia Storer stable in late January. The four-year-old Indiana-sired gelding by Fiftydallarbill out of Hudson Jesse is owned by J M F Racing Freehold, New Jersey.
Miami Valley will close out its racing week on Thursday with a post time of 4 p.m.
(With files from Miami Valley Raceway)