The right combo of owner, trainer and drivers led to a five-race win streak.

by Debbie Little

The adjective harmonious is often used to describe a beautiful painting that is a well-balanced piece of art. Perhaps the same term can be used to describe the 9-year-old gelding Magritte and his connections, who look to continue their winning ways at The Meadowlands on Saturday (April 8).

Owned by Paul Kautz and trained by Cameron Capone, Magritte (Somebeachsomewhere—Artcotic), who shares his name with the famous Belgian surrealist artist René Magritte, is painting quite a picture of his own with a five-race win streak, the last four of which were at The Big M.

Perhaps the best word to describe this whole experience is surreal since, prior to mid-February 2023, Kautz and Capone didn’t even know each other.

Kautz, 63, acquired Magritte in a private sale in August of 2022 and gave the horse to trainer Joe Eisenhower Sr. Although he got checks in half of his 24 starts for Kautz while hitting the board a total of seven times, he never found his way to the winner’s circle racing at Freehold, Harrah’s Philadelphia, Harrington and Rosecroft.

Kautz always felt Magritte had more in him, so when he got a call out of the blue from Capone, he was intrigued.

“He just called me one day and he said, ‘I think I can improve the horse,’” Kautz said. “And I said, ‘Well, let me think about it.’”

According to Kautz, in mid-to-late February, Magritte was having a hard time finishing races while competing at Freehold and Rosecroft.

“He came in, I believe, second in two straight races and then I just decided to change trainers and Joe really wasn’t against it,” Kautz said with a laugh. “So, I called Cameron and I said, ‘Okay, he’s yours.’ And that was the start of the story. He’s had him for five races, and he’s won all five.

“I didn’t know him at all, but I like to try the younger guys and give them a chance. And Joe wasn’t working well with that specific horse, so I figured I’ve got nothing to lose.”

Capone, 23, a third-generation horseman and son of accomplished trainer Mark Capone, had his eye on Magritte since 2021.

“He was bugging me for a while that we should buy this horse,” Mark said. “Cameron is always looking for horses to buy or try to improve and he kept telling me about this horse. And I was like, ‘Cameron, he’s 9. Maybe he’s just over the hill.’”

Mark’s thoughts on the horse changed when Cameron had him watch some of Magritte’s nine wins from 2021 at Yonkers, racing mostly in the $25-$30,000 claiming ranks. After watching those races, Mark thought the horse was worth pursuing.

Cameron saw the horse race at Freehold in person in mid-February, prompting that aforementioned call.

“I called Paul,” Cameron said, “and I sort of told him, ‘I think I can help this horse out. I think he’s better than what he’s showing right now. He fits the bottom class at Freehold and I could probably get him to win there and we’ll go from there and see what happens.’”

At that time, Cameron was working with his dad, but his own resume was nearly a blank canvas, having only trained one horse for five starts. Still, the New Jersey native didn’t think twice about reaching out to Kautz.

“What can the guy really tell me? No?” Cameron said with a laugh. “That was really my standpoint, what could he really tell me? You’ve got to be out advertising yourself even though you don’t have too much behind you.”

Magritte has been with Cameron for about six weeks now and no one could have predicted the results they have shared.

After Magritte won his first start at Freehold on March 4, their sights turned to The Meadowlands.

“We decided to try him in the TrackMaster [Series],” Kautz said. “Cameron said, ‘We missed the first [leg], but we’ll put him in [the second leg] and see what happens.’ We had no clue.

“And then he raced [in the second leg] and won with a lot of heart and then he won the final and just blew them away. I mean he destroyed them [winning by seven lengths]. And he took three seconds off his time. The first week at The Meadowlands he was 1:53.4 and in the final, he was 1:50.4. So, he just destroyed them.”

Following the series, Magritte has been rising through the TrackMaster conditions while still continuing to win. Last Saturday (April 1), he was put in for the TrackMaster 86 condition, but since the condition was combined with the next higher TrackMaster level, he was racing with some better horses, but, thankfully, drew a better post.

“We were very happy that we got the three post, because we got a break and he got a break,” Kautz said. “If you noticed before that he [drew] the nine, nine and 10 post and he still won.”

Magritte’s win on April 1 was even better because the connections had a large group of family and friends present to get their picture taken. By drawing post three, they hoped Magritte’s winning ways would continue and they were rewarded when he held on to win by a head, even though he threw a shoe at the half.

A lot of Magritte’s success belongs with his drivers, Jordan Stratton for the first two at The Meadowlands and David Miller for the last two.

“When I asked Paul for the horse, I said, ‘He’s a very hot horse, we need to find somebody who can fit him with light hands,’” Cameron said. “So, I figured Jordan was the perfect guy, which he was. And then, when the time came and Jordan had to pick off [to drive his brother Cory’s horse], David was there and everything just worked out. How many times can you get a Hall of Famer to drive for you?”

This week, Magritte is facing a stronger field on Saturday (April 8), but has drawn post six, the post with the second-best win percentage at The Meadowlands at 15. Only post five is better at 18 per cent.

Magritte will be driven this week, by four-time Dan Patch Driver of the Year Dexter Dunn as both Miller and Stratton opted for other horses in the race, Better Take It and Da Delightful, respectively. Dunn has driven and won with Magritte in previous years.

“I didn’t ever expect him to be this good again, but he’s just so sharp and he’s just been racing so good,” Cameron said. “I tell Paul this every week, ‘[Magritte] surprises me every week.’ If you treat the horse right and they’re a good horse, they’ll do as much as they can do for you.

“It’s just been a pretty cool ride. To have it be your second horse and for him to come to the barn and to do what he’s done is just pretty phenomenal.”