Magnolia Midnight opened his 3-year-old season in fine fashion and received a big assist from jockey David Cabrera on the way to a clear victory at Oaklawn Park.

Scoring for the second time in his career, Magnolia Midnight broke well in the $100,000 sprint and Cabrera made a cagey move to not engage with a hot pace but also not to discourage the horse in the process, easing back about 2 lengths off the pace.

Turning for home, Cabrera was loaded for bear. Magnolia Midnight shifted out four paths wide and stormed through the stretch to prevail by three-quarters of a length over American Xperiment, the third-place finisher in September’s Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity last time out.

Dallas Stewart trains Magnolia Midnight, who broke his maiden at Colonial Downs last summer. He was purchased at the OBS April sale of 2-year-olds in training last spring.