Photo:

Robert Yates / Oaklawn & Michael McInally / Eclipse Sportswire – edited composite

In a first career start well worth the wait, Nuit Magique unveiled a little daytime magic to those in attendance at Oaklawn on Saturday.

If she is as good as I think she might be, this could be the start of a fun ride for both her connections as well as the numerous fans of her late, great sire Arrogate and legendary trainer D. Wayne Lukas.

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I seldom choose a maiden winner as the subject of my weekly column, but in this case, I will make an exception. This was one of the most impressive debut performances I have seen of late.

Purchased for $1 million as a 2-year-old in training back in 2023 for owner Andreas Constantinou, she was sent off at odds of 5-2 for her long-awaited debut. The daughter of the Mutakddim mare Twixy showed enough early speed under rider Nik Juárez to stay in touch with fast fractions in the six-furlong sprint. Tipping her talent heading into the far turn, the easy-on-the-eyes chestnut steamed into contention with a sudden burst of speed.

From there, Nuit Magique looked headed wide but instead displayed some serious maneuverability. She split the leaders heading for home and soon was well clear of her competition. Pouring it on down the Oaklawn stretch, she crossed the wire eight lengths clear of the second-place finisher while stopping the clock at 1:10.50.

It is a pleasure to see another talented offspring of Arrogate hit the racetrack. A son of Unbridled’s Song, his story is truly one of a shooting star.

Campaigned by Juddmonte and trained by Bob Baffert, he didn’t make his debut until April of his sophomore year, when he found plenty of trouble on the way to a third-place finish at Los Alamitos. He would not lose again that championship season.

After a trio of victories running through his conditions in Southern California, Arrogate would catch lightning in a bottle with four consecutive massive performances. Track record dominations in the Grade 1 Travers and the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) sandwiched a powerful late run to beat the Hall of Famer California Chrome in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).

He continued his spectacular four-race run with an amazing last-to-first victory over another Hall of Famer, Gun Runner, in the 2017 Dubai World Cup (G1). Unable to regain his best form in three losses back in the United States, Arrogate was retired at the end of that season. Inducted into the Hall of Fame five years later, he would make his mark as a sire immediately.

With a Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner in his first crop, a Belmont Stakes winner in his second and a Preakness winner in his third, it was clear Arrogate was headed to superstardom as a sire. But much like his racing career, his time at stud was over much too soon.

Sadly, Arrogate succumbed to a rare disorder in his spine and was humanely euthanized soon after first showing signs of distress. At the time of his death in early June 2020, he was only 7.

With only three foal crops, we know the days of seeing sons and daughters of Arrogate dazzle on the racetrack like their sire are numbered. Perhaps that is why I was so enamored Saturday at Oaklawn with the performance of Nuit Magique.

And it’s only fitting that this extremely promising filly resides in the barn of the 89-year-old, Hall of Fame trainer. Among Lukas’s many classic horses over the past 45 years include two of Arrogate’s very best offspring.

From the first crop of Arrogate, Lukas trained the 2022 Kentucky Oaks winner Secret Oath. Fourth in the Preakness Stakes in her next start, the octogenarian trainer would do three spots better in the middle jewel of the Triple Crown two years later with another Arrogate-sired star Seize the Grey.

The popular and now retired Seize the Grey was from the third and final crop of the champion 3-year-old of 2016. From that same crop, Nuit Magique will look to pick up where Seize the Grey left off in the Lukas barn.

Only time will tell, but in her debut, I believe I saw a very talented horse, one who will quickly transition to the upper echelon of American racing.

Having said all that, we need to proceed with caution with this exciting filly. There are reasons why she did not make her career debut until February of her 4-year-old season. If she can stay healthy, however, I think Arrogate and Lukas have another very good one in Nuit Magique.