Elphaba and Rick Magee overtake stablemate Too Much in the stretch for her first win in her first pari-mutuel start Sunday, Aug. 2 at Running Aces.
Elphaba and Rick Magee turned in a wicked mile Sunday, August 2 to score their first win in the $5,000 Maiden conditioned event at Running Aces. It was the first race for the Indiana filly, who scored the victory in 1:56.3.
Starting from post two, Elphaba was the heavy favorite, coming into her first pari-mutuel race off a Time Bar race in Wisconsin at the Mineral Point Matinee for Gabe Wand, who is part owner. She then transferred to the Quentin Schneider bar and won her qualifier in 1:58.3 by 13 lengths. Therefore, she was the tagged favorite of the field.
Elphaba rallied out from the inside and got the first call out of the gate, but was quickly overtaken by Charlotto Jo and Nick Roland, who led the field through the quarter in :28.4. Too Much and Brady Jenson kept rolling on the outside of Elphaba. Charlotto Jo gapped off the inside slightly and Elphaba tried to move up the inside before Magee grabbed her up to keep her in place. Too Much finally got the lead heading into the second turn and passed by the half in :58.1.
As the final turn approached, Elphaba was out and rolling, moving up to match strides with her stablemate Too Much in the final turn. At the head of the lane, the fillies fought off one another until Elphaba got the edge, moving out to a two and three-quarter length win at the wire with a final panel paced in :29.1. Too Much was second by a nose over Brandyoldfashioned and Casy Leonard.
Elphaba paid $2.60 for the win. The Best in Show three-year-old is owned by Gabe Wand and Robert Wand and is part of the Quentin Schneider barn. She was bred by Nathan Miller of Middlebury, Ind. and was purchased by the Wands from the first crop of Best in Show under the name JN Wild Show at the Midwest Classic Mixed Sale for $6,500. She is a half sister to several solid racehorses, including Odds on Alpha Male, a winner in 1:50.3 with nearly $300,000 in earnings and still counting.
Wand is very active on the Wisconsin harness racing circuit. He serves as a director for the state’s organization and has assisted with several youth events in that area. He has a small stable annually that races mainly on the Wisconsin fair circuit and the Chicago tracks and now at Running Aces. He has won several Driver of the Year titles in his home state and is the longtime packaging manager at Prairie Farms. He was also inducted into the Wisconsin Harness Horse Association Hall of Fame in 2021. He also serves as a director for his region with the U.S. Trotting Association. Wand is a big fan of Broadway and named the Indiana filly after a character in Wicked, played by Cynthia Erivo in the blockbuster movie.
