Life's Magic
Encyclopedia
Life's Magic was an American
two-time Champion
Thoroughbred
filly
racehorse
. Bred in Kentucky
, Life's Magic was sired by Cox's Ridge
, a Grade I
winner and descendant of the great Nearco
. She was out of the mare Fire Water, a daughter of 1965 Preakness Stakes
winner and American Champion Three-Year-Old Colt Tom Rolfe
.
Life's Magic was conditioned for racing by future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
trainer
D. Wayne Lukas
, who went on to win more Breeders' Cup
races than any other trainer in history.
Racing at age two in 1983, Life's Magic made seven starts at racetracks across the United States. After winning a maiden race, she won the Grade I Oak Leaf Stakes
. She ran second four times, always in Grade I
events. At age three, she won the GII Monmouth Oaks plus three Grade I events. She ran second to Princess Rooney
in the 1984 Breeders' Cup Distaff and was voted the 1984 American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly.
Sent back to the track at age four, Life's Magic had her second Championship season, notably capturing the Shuvee Handicap
before winning the most important race of her career under jockey Angel Cordero, Jr.: the 1985 Breeders' Cup Distaff, where she defeated the great Lady's Secret
. Her 1985 performances earned Life's Magic American Champion Older Female Horse honors.
Retired to broodmare duty, a fertile Life's Magic produced fourteen offspring, none of which came close to achieving her success. Life's Magic died at age twenty-six on August 21, 2007, at Trackside Farm in Versailles, Kentucky
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
two-time Champion
Eclipse Award
The Eclipse Award is an American thoroughbred horse racing award named after the 18th century British racehorse and sire, Eclipse. The Eclipse Awards, honoring the champions of the sport, are sponsored by the National Thoroughbred Racing Association , Daily Racing Form and the National Turf Writers...
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...
filly
Filly
A filly is a young female horse too young to be called a mare. There are several specific definitions in use.*In most cases filly is a female horse under the age of four years old....
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...
. Bred in Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
, Life's Magic was sired by Cox's Ridge
Cox's Ridge
Cox's Ridge was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. His handlers chose to bypass the rigorous U.S. Triple Crown series and went on the enjoy considerable success in 1977 and 1978 with his most important win coming in the Metropolitan Handicap. In 1979, the five-year-old Cox's Ridge won the Tom...
, a Grade I
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
winner and descendant of the great Nearco
Nearco
Nearco was an Italian bred Thoroughbred racehorse described by Thoroughbred Heritage as "one of the greatest racehorses of the Twentieth Century" and "one of the most important sires of the century." He was not only unbeaten, winning 14 races at distances from 5 furlongs to 1 mile 7 furlongs ,...
. She was out of the mare Fire Water, a daughter of 1965 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...
winner and American Champion Three-Year-Old Colt Tom Rolfe
Tom Rolfe
The racehorse Tom Rolfe was one of the best American sons of the great racehorse and sire Ribot. His dam was Pocahontas, from whom he takes his name...
.
Life's Magic was conditioned for racing by future U.S. Racing Hall of Fame
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
trainer
Horse trainer
In horse racing, a trainer prepares a horse for races, with responsibility for exercising it, getting it race-ready and determining which races it should enter...
D. Wayne Lukas
D. Wayne Lukas
Darrell Wayne Lukas is a former educator who became one of the most successful horse trainers in American Thoroughbred horse racing history and a U.S...
, who went on to win more Breeders' Cup
Breeders' Cup
The Breeders' Cup World Championships is an annual series of Thoroughbred horse races, most but not all Grade I, operated by Breeders' Cup Limited, a company formed in 1982. From its inception in 1984 through 2006, it was a single-day event; starting in 2007, it expanded to two days. The location...
races than any other trainer in history.
Racing at age two in 1983, Life's Magic made seven starts at racetracks across the United States. After winning a maiden race, she won the Grade I Oak Leaf Stakes
Oak Leaf Stakes
The Oak Leaf Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually at the end of September at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. It is restricted to two-year-old fillies...
. She ran second four times, always in Grade I
Graded stakes race
A graded stakes race is a term applied since 1973 by the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association to thoroughbred horse races in the United States and Canada to describe races that derive their name from the stake, or entry fee, owners must pay...
events. At age three, she won the GII Monmouth Oaks plus three Grade I events. She ran second to Princess Rooney
Princess Rooney
Princess Rooney was an American Champion Thoroughbred racehorse who was the first winner of a Breeders' Cup race to be inducted into the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame....
in the 1984 Breeders' Cup Distaff and was voted the 1984 American Champion Three-Year-Old Filly.
Sent back to the track at age four, Life's Magic had her second Championship season, notably capturing the Shuvee Handicap
Shuvee Handicap
The Shuvee Handicap is an American race Thoroughbred horse race run annually at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. Run in mid May, it is open to fillies and mares, age three and up, who are willing to race one mile on the dirt. A Grade II event, it offers a purse of $150,000...
before winning the most important race of her career under jockey Angel Cordero, Jr.: the 1985 Breeders' Cup Distaff, where she defeated the great Lady's Secret
Lady's Secret
Lady's Secret was an American Eclipse Award winning Thoroughbred racemare that was listed in the Top 100 U.S. Racehorses of the 20th Century.-Breeding and background:...
. Her 1985 performances earned Life's Magic American Champion Older Female Horse honors.
Retired to broodmare duty, a fertile Life's Magic produced fourteen offspring, none of which came close to achieving her success. Life's Magic died at age twenty-six on August 21, 2007, at Trackside Farm in Versailles, Kentucky
Versailles, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,511 people, 3,160 households, and 2,110 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 3,330 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 88.18% White, 8.67% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.35%...
.