Javier Castellano celebrates after riding Mage to win the 149th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Louisville, Ky.
Charlie Riedel/AP
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Charlie Riedel/AP
Javier Castellano celebrates after riding Mage to win the 149th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Louisville, Ky.
Charlie Riedel/AP
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – After seven deaths that raised questions about the future of horse racing, Mage secured a surprising win in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, ending a tense day that included two more deaths ahead of the edition. 149th of the most famous race in the world.
Mage, who is 15-1, has only one win in his career, showing little sign that he can beat 17 opponents in a race not meant for the inexperienced. .
However, he made a brave long run, edging past Two Phil’s to get inside and win by a margin. Mage, who didn’t race at the age of 2, ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.57.
Mage has joined Justify (2018), Big Brown (2008) and Regret (2015) as Derby winners with just three previous starts.
“Today, he proved that doesn’t matter,” assistant coach and co-owner Gustavo Delgado Jr. speak.
The foal is in the skillful hands of Javier Castellano, a Hall of Fame jockey who has fallen out of favor recently. Castellano, 45, slipped a 0 to 15 slide during the Derby.
“I never give up,” Castellano said. “I’ve always tried my best to do the right thing. It took me a while to get there. I finally made it.”
Castellano and coach Gustavo Delgado from Venezuela. Mage joined Canonero II as the winner of the Derby against Venezuela. Canonero II won the Battle of Derby and Preakness in 1971.
Going into the next round, the Mage led only three horses. Castellano and Mage began to eliminate their opponents and at the far end began their run.
Castellano said: “Back home, he had a lot of heart. “He’s a little pony with a big heart.”
Two Phil’s took the lead at the start of the stretch. The mage swung outward and aimed at the leader. Mage overtook him in the eighth column and won.
“Everything went according to plan,” Delgado Jr. speak. “This is my dream, a year and a half ago I wrote a note: ‘We will win the Derby next year.'”
Forte, the earliest favorite, was scratched in the morning with a bruised paw, one of five horses that had dropped out before the race.
The shaman paid $32.42, $14.58 and $9.08. The foal made $1,860,000 for the biggest win of his short career.
Two Phils returned $10.44 and $6.52.
Larry Rivelli, who coaches Two Phil’s, said: “Oh my god, he’s been trying so hard and giving his all.
Angel of Empire, the 4-1 favorite, took another half-length in third place in front of a crowd of 150,335 on a warm and cloudy day in Churchill Downs. He paid $4.70 to show.
Earlier in the day, Chloe’s Dream, a 3-year-old colt, and Freezing Point, a 3-year-old foal, died after being injured in their race, becoming the sixth and seventh horse to die at the road. racing in recent days.
“It’s a very difficult subject to talk about,” said Ramiro Restrepo, part ownership of Mage and a blood reserve dealer. “I’m sure there will be some investigation done into the reasoning behind that and hopefully that will provide some more answers.”
The series of horse deaths has crossed the minds of some Derby watchers.
“It’s disturbing, and I hope they quickly do their best to fix whatever’s going on,” said Michael Freeze, who, along with his friend, dressed up as racers, speak. “They need to do whatever is best for the horses and the sport in general.”
Coach Jeff Hiles told The Associated Press that Chloe’s Dream injured her right front knee.
“He just took a bad step out of there,” Hiles said. “They can do the same thing on the court as they can do on the track. So it’s a pity. That’s what we deal with.”
Freezing Point injured his left ankle on the Pat Day Mile, coach Joe Lejzerowicz told the AP.
Lejzerowicz said: “He just got hit in the back seat. “He never took a bad step or wobbled. He had a generous heart.”
New anti-doping and drug regulations enforced by the sport’s central governing body are expected 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 we treat our children. And we have complete confidence in the health of our horses. horse,” said Restrepo. “We’ve been training here for two weeks and he’s really done well at the circuit.”
The deaths include Derby rival Wild On Ice. Two of the horses were trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. He has been suspended indefinitely from the track, although investigators have yet to determine the cause of death of his horses.
Relieved Tim Yakteen, who trained Reincarnation to finish in 13th place, said: “The most important thing is that the horse got out of there OK.”
Hall of Fame coach Bob Baffert, a two-time Triple Crown winner, is nearing the end of a two-year ban imposed by Churchill Downs Inc. a post-race drug test. The horse is disqualified and Baffert is punished.
In 2019, more than 30 horse deaths occurred at California’s Santa Anita racetrack, shocking the industry and leading to safety reforms. Winning Kentucky Derby coach Rick Dutrow had his license revoked for 10 years by New York officials in 2011 for 10 years. Managers found syringes containing illegal drugs on a table in his warehouse. Dutrow served his sentence and reopened the barn last month.
Four horses have been scratched—Practical Move, Lord Miles, Continuar and Skinner—in recent days. According to his Japanese coach, Practical Move and Skinner had a fever, while Continuar was not in the best shape. Lord Miles is 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, Recorn, Kingsbarns, King Russell, Verifying, Jace’s Road and Cyclone Mischief .
