Khali Magic prevails in $125K NYSSS Staten Island; NYSSS Thunder Rumble Recap

Posted On 23 Nov 2025

Khali Magic prevails in $125K NYSSS Staten Island

By Keith McCalmont

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Khali Magic made every pole a winning one under a sharp ride by Ruben Silvera in Saturday’s $125,000 Staten Island division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series, a seven-furlong sprint for eligible New York-sired fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained and co-owned by Rudy Rodriguez with Steven Speranza, the 7-year-old New York-bred daughter of Al Khali was haltered twice this year for $45,000, including in August by her current connections. In victory, Khali Magic is now a 12-time winner from 48 career starts and secured her first career stakes score in her fifth attempt.

“Since we claimed her, she’s been a very straightforward filly. She’s run three times for us now, so maybe third time was the charm,” Rodriguez said. “I love the way Ruben rides. He’s one of my favorite riders, and he’s an aggressive, speed rider. I thought today we were going to go 21 or 22 flat, but when we went 23, we were live.”

Stone Smuggler was hustled out of the inside post by Manny Franco, but Silvera soon had Khali Magic in charge to show the way through an opening quarter-mile in 23.15 seconds over the sloppy and sealed main track.

“I tried to break good, because she loves the sloppy track. I try to take the lead easy and wait for the end and see what happens,” Silvera said.

The speedy 2-5 post-time favorite Sunday Girl tracked from third position to the outside of Soloshot as Khali Magic led through the turn and the half-mile in 46.38 as Stone Smuggler retreated. Khali Magic took the field into the lane with Soloshot surging up the fence and Sunday Girl spinning her wheels under Flavien Prat.

A game Khali Magic stayed on strong and held her lane down the stretch as the Jaime Rodriguez-piloted Soloshot tried to finish along the inside before switching to an outside path inside the final sixteenth. Soloshot was resurgent once switched out, but Khali Magic held sway to score by a half-length in a final time of 1:23.84. It was three lengths back to Intentious in third with Midtown Lights, Stone Smuggler, Sunday Girl and Storm Changer rounding out the order of finish.

A rider’s objection by Jaime Rodriguez against Silvera and Khali Magic for interference in the stretch run was disallowed.

“I heard someone inside [Soloshot], but I never opened it [the rail]. Maybe if I did, she’d beat me at the wire,” Silvera said.

Jaime Rodriguez said the Ilkay Kantarmaci-trained Soloshot, off at 30-1 odds, was game in defeat.

“I tried to save some ground a little bit in the beginning – I didn’t want to be too far outside, and I was waiting for the space,” Rodriguez said. “By the time I took her out, she was ready and gave me the kick, but it was too late.”

Trainer Rudy Rodriguez said Khali Magic, who won for the fourth time in seven tries over wet footing, benefited from a sloppy track that seemed to hamper the David Duggan-trained favorite Sunday Girl.

“The wet track [helped], and she looked like seven-eighths [would suit her]. When they went 23 with the way the track has been playing the last few days, it was amazing,” Rodriguez said. “When I saw that, I thought we were very live. Maybe it wasn’t the Duggan filly’s day today and maybe she didn’t handle the sloppy track, so when I saw her [Khali Magic] outside nice, I said, ‘this is good.’ It worked out for us today.”

Bred in the Empire State by Wachtel Stable, Khali Magic, out of the winning Smokin Mel mare Smokin Sue, banked $68,750 in victory while improving her record to 48-12-9-7. She returned $27.16 for a $2 win bet.

Live racing resumes Sunday at the Big A with a nine-race card featuring the $150,000 Forever Together in Race 4 and the Grade 3, $150,000 Pebbles in Race 8. First post is 12:10 p.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Aqueduct Racetrack fall meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

Doc Sullivan much the best in $125K NYSSS Thunder Rumble

By Keith McCalmont

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Tristar Farm’s Doc Sullivan relished a turnback in distance to post an emphatic 5 1/2-length score in Saturday’s $125,000 Thunder Rumble division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series, a seven-furlong sprint for eligible New York-sired 3-year-olds and up, at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Trained by John Ortiz and piloted by Hall of Famer Joel Rosario, the 4-year-old Solomini dark bay entered from a neck defeat to returning rival Bank Frenzy in the nine-furlong Empire Classic against fellow New York-breds on October 25 here.

He picked up his third stakes win following state-bred scores sprinting seven furlongs at Saratoga Race Course in last year’s Mike Lee and the John Morrissey in July.

“He always tries hard, this horse, and I thought seven-eighths was perfect for him,” Rosario said. “He won going that distance before, so that was good. He ran great. He always breaks sharp, and he was the best horse in the race.”

Dr. Kraft broke alertly under Flavien Prat and showed the way through an opening quarter-mile in 22.92 seconds over the sloppy and sealed main track while pressed by Doc Sullivan from the outside. Bank Frenzy, with Manny Franco up, stalked from third position down the backstretch as Dr. Kraft took the field into the turn while Doc Sullivan ramped up the pressure with the half-mile clocked in 45.79.

Doc Sullivan was in front at the stretch call but drifted out, allowing a game Dr. Kraft an opportunity to fight on as Bank Frenzy tried and failed to make up ground on the leaders. Rosario straightened his charge out and was rampant with a sixteenth to run as Dr. Kraft kept on and Bank Frenzy tried a belated inside move to no avail as Doc Sullivan surged home in a final time of 1:22.31. Dr. Kraft, who was fifth last out in the Empire Classic, completed the exacta by 1 1/2-lengths over Bank Frenzy with Jackson Heights and General Banker rounding out the order of finish.

“He just kept moving. I kept him busy because sometimes he likes to wait a little bit, but I think he was the best in the competition today. He was strong,” said Rosario, who has piloted Doc Sullivan in each of his last five outings which included close fourth-place finishes sprinting seven-furlongs in the Grade 1 Forego in August at Saratoga and the Grade 3 Vosburgh presented by Army Mule in September here ahead of his Empire Classic try.

Daniel Ortiz, assistant and brother of winning trainer John Ortiz, said he was pleased with the effort.

“We came into this really confident after a big effort last time, and kudos to Bank Frenzy – it’s always fun when you have another horse to rival you,” Ortiz said. “We’re so happy he got the job done. He showed a lot of confidence and I’m glad he did it with ease. It’s great for the whole [team].”

Bred in the Empire State by Seamus Coughlan, Doc Sullivan, a $59,000 purchase at the 2023 OBS June 2-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale, banked $68,750 in victory while improving his record to 19-6-6-2. He returned $3.40 for a $2 win bet as the post-time favorite.

Live racing resumes Sunday at the Big A with a nine-race card featuring the $150,000 Forever Together in Race 4 and the Grade 3, $150,000 Pebbles in Race 8. First post is 12:10 p.m. Eastern.