[1] Nancy Alberts, also Magic Weisner's owner, trainer, and exercise rider, bred the horse from a mare named Jazema, which she bought as a yearling for $1 because of her crooked legs.
Alberts had commented that Jazema had a special eye for Ameri Valay because of seeing him around the barn area at Laurel Park.
Then Alberts entered Magic Weisner in the Maryland Juvenile Championship Stakes, a nine-furlong dirt race at Laurel Park, which he won.
War Emblem, Proud Citizen, Medaglia d'Oro, and Harlan's Holiday garnered the vast majority of the public's support.
Magic Weisner was listed at 40-1 on the morning line but dropped to 33-1 at post time because of a deep local following and empathy for Alberts' Cinderella story.
As the gates opened, speedster Menacing Dennis rushed to the lead, followed by War Emblem and Booklet going into the first turn as Magic Weisner lagged far back in eleventh of thirteen.
With three furlongs to go, War Emblem took over the lead, followed closely by Proud Citizen, Madaglia d'Oro, and Harlan's Holiday.
He then won the grade two Ohio Derby by a neck over Wiseman's Ferry, who carried him very wide, and The Judge Sez Who, who finished third.
At his retirement, Alberts said, "He looks fine but the West Nile virus just damaged all the nerves around his back and hind quarters.