Magician, 13, winner of $3.5 million and 49 races with a mark of 1:52.2, including most of harness racing's prestigious events, died early this morning at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center.
Magician's owner, Leslie McLaren, who first came to know the horse when he was on turn out at her Columbus, New Jersey farm, said the horse was euthanized when he became suddenly and severely ill with colic.
"He was fine at 8:30 p.m. (September 16), then I heard banging at 11:00 p.m. and went out to check and see what was going on," she said. "I found him in complete distress; I had the vet come and treat him with meds."
Medication was not helping, however, and McLaren brought Magician to New Bolton in the middle of the night for evaluation, where the news was not good.
"They think that he ruptured his stomach and there was nothing we could do," McLaren said. "The vet there said that if they did open him up, that's what they would find and there's nothing they could do about that."
Magician was owned throughout his racing career by the late William Augenstein and trained by Earl Cruise. McLaren and Magician became acquainted when he was on turn out from the racetrack at her Blairwood Farm.
"He came to me right after he won the Nat Ray in 1999; he was on vacation," she said.
Magician thrived on a routine that saw him commuting from her farm to the track.
"Earl used to bring him every three or four weeks and then take him a couple of (training) miles, take him back out (to the races). Then it got to where he started racing in the winter and Earl said he didn't like being at the racetrack, so he sent him back to me," McLaren said. "He'd stay with me maybe four days and go back the day before he'd race. Then he'd race and come back to me the next day."
McLaren became Magician's owner in 2005 after Augenstein's passing and the close of Magician's seven-year racing career. His schedule since then has revolved around his affinity for people over horses.
"He has been a goodwill ambassador; he just loves people," McLaren said. "He's not in to other horses, he's too competitive. I'd take him trail riding around the farm. He was still on a schedule, went out in the paddock every day. He thought he was still pretty special, and he was."
Magician's resume included a win in the $1 million Breeders Crown for older trotters in 2000, as well as the Classic Series final, the Su Mac Lad Series final, the Maple Leaf Trot, Cutler Memorial Stakes (twice), American-National and Titan Cup. He won the Dan Patch Award as best older male trotter in 2000. The only year he failed to win a race in less than 1:56 was as a two-year-old.
Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the connections of Magician.
(Harness Racing Communication)