Biddy Duke, Magic at Midnight Look for Win in Ken Maddy

Biddy Duke and Magic at Midnight are set to face off in the $100,000 Senator Ken Maddy Stakes (G3T) October 24th at Santa Anita Park. The event is comparable to the Claiming Crown, a series of stakes races for claiming horses that California has never held. However, the Ken Maddy has five entrants who have raced in claiming ranks. 

Both Biddy Duke and Magic at Midnight were picked up out of those races.

Now, the two are competing in the five 1/2-furlong dash, with the field of seven being led by dual stakes winner Jo Jo Air. 

Biddy Duke is a multiple stakes-placed runner, and Magic at Midnight is undefeated in four outings.

The field is a small one since one of the leading nominees, Bulletproof One, skipped over the event to try to gain entrance into the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) at Keeneland on November 7th.

Bulletproof One overcame Biddy Duke and Aqua Seaform Shame in the Unzip Me Stakes at Santa Anita in September. Aqua Seaform Shame is also an entrant in the Ken Maddy.

In the Unzip Me Stakes, Biddy Duke finished third but performed solidly, finishing 2 3/4 lengths behind the winner and a half-length behind runner-up Aqua Seaform Shame. She was bumped at the starting gate before catching up to Bulletproof One, but she eventually tired and dropped back. 

Doug O’Neill is Biddy Duke’s trainer.

"Very honest filly," Doug O'Neill said. "Her wins have come on the dirt, but she showed in her last that she could be very competitive at that level on the grass, as well. I'm very proud of her. She's a 3-year-old filly that looks like she is getting better and better."

She is a speedy daughter of Bayern owned by Joseph Besecker, and she placed twice in stakes this past summer. She was claimed for $40,000 by O’Neill at Santa Anita on May 23rd. Biddy Duke then went on to take back-to-back allowance optional claiming wins at Del Mar on dirt before the Unzip Me. 

The filly will be joined by Juan Hernandez. She has won six of 19 starts and has earnings of $220,322.

O’Neill has three starters, including Biddy Duke, An Eddie Surprise for Reddam Racing, and Lakerball for Pappas Horse Racing, Purple Rein Racing, and Tom Roberts. 

According to O’Neill, he wanted to run An Eddie Surprise in another race and use the Ken Maddy as an alternative. An Eddie Surprise won the restricted Wishing Well Stakes last time out on February 17th.

Magic at Midnight was claimed for $30,000 out of her debut in July 2019 at Los Alamitos Race Course, where she won by 13 lengths. Since then, she has won three races, including eight 3/4 lengths last summer in a starter allowance race on dirt at Del Mar. She then went on to take two races at the track this summer.

Those two races included a five-furlong turf spring and a six 1/2 furlong dirt race against entry-level allowance optional claimers. 

The 4-year-old Midnight Lute filly is owned by Michael A., Michael J., and Joseph Moran. She is trained by Mark Glatt. 

Aqua Seaform Shame, John C. Mabee Stakes (G3) fourth-place runner Zee Drop, and Jo Jo Air, winner of the Daisycutter Handicap this summer at Del Mar, will all benefit from a contested pace.

The entire field in post position is Jo Jo Air, Biddy Duke, An Eddie Surprise, Lakerball, Magic at Midnight, Aqua Seaform Shame, and Zee Drop.