After a string of horse deaths at Churchill Downs last week raised questions about the future of horse racing, Mage clinched a surprise win in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, capping a nail-biting day of two more horse deaths ahead of the 149 in the world’s most famous race .
Mage, a 15-1 shot, has had just one win in his career, which suggests little that he could triumph against 17 rivals in a race not good for the inexperienced.
Still, he put on a brave stretch run, passed Two Phil’s inside and won by a length. Mage, who did not race as a 2-year-old, ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.57.
Mage #8 ridden by jockey Javier Castellano crosses the finish line to win heat 149 of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 06, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. Getty Images
Mage joined Justify (2018), Big Brown (2008) and Regret (2015) as Derby winners with only three previous starts.
“He proved today that it doesn’t matter,” said assistant coach and co-owner Gustavo Delgado Jr.
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The colt was in the skillful hands of Javier Castellano, a Hall of Fame jockey who hasn’t been in much demand lately. The 45-year-old Castellano slid 0:15 in the derby.
“I never give up,” said Castellano. “I always try to do the right thing. It took me a while to get there. I finally did it.”
Castellano and coach Gustavo Delgado are from Venezuela. Mage joined Canonero II as a derby winner with Venezuelan connections. Canonero II won the 1971 Derby and Preakness.
Going into the backstretch, Mage was only three horses ahead. Castellano and Mage began fending off the competition and started their run on the far corner.
“He turned home and had a lot of heart,” said Castellano. “He’s a little horse with a big heart.”
At the top of the track, two Phils rushed to the front. Mage swung outward and aimed at the leader. Mage passed him at the eighth pole and went on to win.
“Everything went according to plan,” Delgado Jr. said. “That’s the dream I have, a year and a half ago I wrote a note: ‘We’re going to win the derby next year.'”
Forte, the early favorite, was scratched with a bruise on his foot in the morning, one of five horses retired leading up to the race.
Mage paid $32.42, $14.58, and $9.08. The colt earned $1,860,000 for the biggest win of his short career.
Two Phils netted $10.44 and $6.52.
“Man, he tried so hard and ripped his heart out,” said Larry Rivelli, who coaches Two Phil’s.
Angel of Empire, the 4-1 favorite, was another half a length down in third place on a warm and partly cloudy day at Churchill Downs in front of a crowd of 150,335. He paid $4.70 to show it.
Earlier in the day, Chloe’s Dream, a 3-year-old gelding, and Freezing Point, a 3-year-old colt, were euthanized after suffering injuries during their races.
“It’s a very difficult subject to address,” said Ramiro Restrepo, part of Mage’s holdings and a Bloodline agent. “I’m sure some research is being done into why this is happening and hopefully that will provide some more answers.”
The string of horse deaths concerned some Derby-goers.
“It’s concerning and I hope they quickly try their best to correct what’s going on,” said Michael Freeze, who dressed up as jockeys along with his friend. “You have to do what is best for the horses and the sport in general.”
Chloe’s Dream injured his right front knee, trainer Jeff Hiles told The Associated Press.
“He just made a bad move out there,” Hiles said. “They could do the same thing on the field as they do on the track. That’s very unfortunate. We have to deal with that.”
Freezing Point suffered a left ankle injury on the Pat Day Mile, coach Joe Lejzerowicz told AP.
“He was just hit on the back straight,” said Lejzerowicz. “He never took a bad step or swayed. He had a big heart.”
New anti-doping and medication rules, enforced by a central sport governing body, are set to come into effect on May 22.
“All I can say is that we do our best to take care of our horses. We treat them better than our children. And we have full confidence in our horse’s health,” said Restrepo. “We’ve been training here for two weeks and he’s really thriving at this circuit.”
The deaths included derby contender Wild On Ice. Two of the horses were trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. He has been suspended from the track indefinitely, although investigators have yet to determine a cause of his horses’ deaths.
A relieved Tim Yakteen, who coached Reincarnate to 13th, said: “The most important thing is that the horse came out of it well.”
Hall of Fame coach Bob Baffert, a two-time Triple Crown winner, is nearing the end of a two-year suspension imposed by Churchill Downs Inc. One of his horses, Medina Spirit, crossed the finish line first in the 2021 Derby and failed a post-race drug test. The horse was disqualified and Baffert was penalized.
In 2019, over 30 horse fatalities occurred at Santa Anita, California, rocking the industry and prompting safety reforms. Kentucky Derby winner Rick Dutrow had his license suspended for 10 years by New York officials in 2011. Regulators found syringes containing unapproved drugs in a desk in his barn. Dutrow served his sentence and reopened his stable last month.
Four horses have been scratched in the last few days – Practical Move, Lord Miles, Continuar and Skinner. Practical Move and Skinner were running fevers, while Continuar was not in top form, according to his Japanese trainer. Lord Miles was Joseph’s Derby horse.
Disarm was fourth, followed by Hit Show, Japan’s Derma Sotogake, Tapit Trice and Raise Cain, Rocket Can, Confidence Game, Sun Thunder, Japan’s Mandarin Hero, Reincarnate, Kingsbarns, King Russell, Verifying, Jace’s Road and Cyclone Mischief.