Magic Mecke Rolls to Victory in Axthelm

Magic Mecke won his third consecutive race by taking the$100,000 Pete Axthelm Stakes Saturday at Calder Race Course, breaking the stakes record time in the process.

Ridden by jockey Eibar Coa, Magic Mecke covered the 7 ½ furlongs on firm turf in 1:27 2/5, defeating the longshot pacesetter Hear No Evil by a length. Sharp Impact was third.

A Florida homebred owned by Trilogy Stables, Eddie Plesa Jr. trains Magic Mecke.

The 3-year-old son of Mecke reached the lead in the homestretch after Hear No Evil played "catch me if you can" with the field by opening up about seven lengths on the backstretch. Coa guided Magic Mecke down the lane to collar Hear No Evil in deep stretch and win going away.

"My horse broke sharp which made me able to get into a good position in the first turn, which was very important," Coa said. "Then I had the rail all the way to the quarter pole where finally I went through."

He paid $8.80, 5.40 and 3.20; Hear No Evil, who went off at odds of 25-to-1, returned $17.40 and 8.40 to place; Sharp Impact paid $4.00 to show.

Magic Mecke improved to 5-4-0 lifetime in 13 starts while improving his earnings to $155,440.

"He's been very consistent," said Plesa. "He's found his place on turf and that's where he'll stay. I'm very happy for the owners and breeders, David Melin and Marion Montanari (Trilogy Stable). They've put a lot into the game and deserve to have a nice horse. We'll look at the Gulfstream schedule and see what's next."

(Chart, Equibase)