Jugette Winner's 3-YO Colt The Force Of Magic May Have Earned Jug Start With 1:51.4 Victory

By Tom White
7/31/03

Little Brown Jug long shot The Force Of Magic moved closer to starting in the 58th Jug Classic following his near stakes record 1:51.4 victory Wednesday night at Maywood Park.

The colt is a homebred owned by Charles (Cotton), Julie and Francene Nash of Lexington, Ky and is by Jate Lobell out of 1995 Jugette champion Magic Shopper. Cotton Nash is a former University of Kentucky All-America basketball player.

"He stunned everyone," said Julie Nash. "We had not even been thinking about starting him in the Jug, but now we're definitely reconsidering."

Tony Morgan, who drives for trainer Bret Shultz, was also encouraged by The Force Of Magic's victory. "He raced poorly in his American National elimination on July 10th. He paced a slow last quarter and wound up seventh."

The Force Of Magic got away second in his latest start and blew away the competition with a swift final quarter, winning by 4 1/4 lengths in 1:51.4, just one-fifth of a second off Maywood's three-year-old track record. "He isn't the same colt who raced so badly in the American-National," said Julie. "He couldn't leave and he couldn't close, but he did this week."

The Force Of Magic is a small, light colt who had only three victories prior to his 1:51.4 effort. "He is small and very light and has trouble putting on weight," added his owner.

Plans call for The Force Of Magic to race in overnights at Maywood until the Horseman Futurity on August 16th and the Kentucky Sires Stakes Championship eliminations and final at Bluegrass Downs. "We want him to get used to racing on a half-mile track. We did not stake him to much," Julie added. The Force Of Magic also won in 1:54 earlier this season and has lifetime winnings of $63,650.

Correction:  Three Diamonds, who won the Jugette in 1982, also produced a Jug champion, Life Sign in 1993.