The sun had not yet shone on the old house in Kentucky on May 8 when Mystik Dan appeared for the first time on Churchill Downs track since writing his name in racing history with a spearheading victory in the May 4 Kentucky Derby (G1).
The Derby winner emerged from trainer Kenny McPeek’s barn at precisely 6 a.m. ET to begin walking to the muddy track before stopping in front of the gap to soak up the surroundings.
“Mystik Dan is really calm and very smart,” McPeek said. “Don’t be fazed by anything.”
Once on the track, the son of gold money start at the five-eighths pole and complete a one-mile jog around the track. As the colt passed the stand where McPeek could see him, he turned and galloped easily 1/8 mile to stretch his legs.
“He’s still his old self,” McPeek said. He’s just out there as Mr. Pro.
#KentuckyDerby winner #MystikDan back on @ChurchillDowns following for the first time since his victory. pic.twitter.com/jbDsAO56ic
— Sean Collins (@BH_SCollins) May 8, 2024
McPeek is carefully watching the colt’s every move as he weighs up whether his Derby winner will chase racing’s Triple Crown with a start in the $2 million Preakness Stakes (G1). dollars on May 18 at Pimlico Race Course.
The procedure performed by Mystik Dan on Wednesday morning was specifically designed to ensure McPeek could watch Mystik Dan jog away from him, jog past him once and gallop past McPeek twice while he observed on the observatory with his dog Sunny.
“More than anything, I want to make sure he moves well, eats well and is happy,” McPeek said. “At this stage, I like what I see.”
A decision on the Preakness likely won’t be made until later this week and McPeek said it may not be until May 13, entry day.
“An old man told me a long time ago, never make a decision until you absolutely have to,” McPeek said.
Mystik Dan will gallop to 1 3/8 miles starting on May 9 and may “fast gallop” on May 11 to give McPeek a chance to observe the colt, making sure that the trachea or There are no problems with his lungs.
Mystik Dan won his first race on November 12 at Churchill Downs by 7 3/4 lengths. Returning just 13 days later as the favorite in the optional allowance claiming race, Mystik Dan finished fifth while being beaten by eight lengths. McPeek said his runner left the race because of a lung infection.
“I don’t want that to happen again,” McPeek said when asked about the two weeks between the Derby and the Preakness. “He had a really good reason. He coughed up a large amount of mucus.”
Regardless of that concerning performance during last fall’s short break, McPeek is comfortable running Mystik Dan in the Preakness as long as he’s healthy.
“It’s not a big deal,” McPeek said. “As long as their immune system is good and they’re happy, there’s no problem.”
Thorpedo Anna turned to watch despite Rash
While all the signs are positive for Mystik Dan, McPeek has more concerns for the stable’s other star, the Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner. Thorpedo Anna .
“She came out of the race with a little bit of a skin rash on the perimeter, which worried me,” McPeek said. “Horses get ringworm, which is caused by humidity, weather, rain and things like that. Every now and then you see a stable with a little bit of ringworm. It has some spots on the girth of the horse.” me.”
Despite the rash, my daughter Quick Anna also made her first trip back to the track on Wednesday morning, performing the same routine as her Derby-winning stablemate. McPeek said she showed her usual aggression during practice.
Not expecting the rash to cause any delays, McPeek appears committed to the June 7 Acorn Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course instead of the next day’s Belmont Stakes (G1) against the boys.
“I want the 3-year-old to be a champion,” McPeek said.
The Preakness field is slowly taking shape
If Mystik Dan decides to run in the Preakness, chances are he will only see a familiar Derby face at the gate, Steel only . Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, son of justification also returned to the track on Wednesday along with Lukas’ Pat Day Mile (G2) winner and Preakness hopeful Embrace the gray .
“They have good energy, they feel good,” Lukas said. In fact, surprisingly good.” “I’m very pleased with them. We passed that part of the inspection quite well.”
Sit half a length away from the Derby governor Follow the ghost Just Steel chased fractions of :22.97 and :46.63 before dropping to 17th place. Based on his energy levels after the Derby, Lukas believes the colt will be ready to return to a more convenient trip.
Just Steel (right) pushes the pace in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs
“You can’t (put those fractions) in the Derby and finish,” Lukas said. “We had a little trouble getting out of there. I don’t blame (rider) Keith (Asmussen) because he tried to get out of that trouble. In doing so, he ended up sending him That’s it. We were too strong early.”
Being on the qualifying list before Derby entries were made, Lukas decided to hear Seize the Gray come to the Pat Day Mile. The move proved successful as the son of Superior took home the top award.
Seize the Gray seemed interested in shortening the distance to a one-mile turn, but Lukas had no interest in asking him to lengthen the Preakness’s 1 3/16-mile distance.
“He just strode on the rope,” Lukas said. He runs pretty strong. “I really think he’ll adapt very well to the Preakness. He’s the type of horse that will adapt very well to it.”
Lukas is yet to make a decision on who will ride Just Steel in the Preakness, but confirmed Jaime Torres will retain the mount on Seize the Gray.
One horse on the Derby eligibility list is Mugatu . After falling short of enough scratches to qualify for the classic, trainer Jeff Engler changed his backup plan from running in the May 11 Peter Pan Stakes (G3) at Water racetrack for a run in the middle jewel of the Triple Crown.
“We were a little disappointed not to make the Derby,” Engler said. “We feel the farther this horse goes, the better. I like the mile and three-sixteenths, so we’ll move up.”
The Mugatu at Churchill Downs
Mugatu would likely be Derby’s biggest long shot if he were to get into the mix, as he has won just once in 12 starts. In the smaller field in the Preakness, however, he will likely receive more attention. On April 6, the son of Blofeld closed from last to fifth in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) behind four Kentucky Derby opponents and ahead of Seize the Gray. Blue Grass was his first start on dirt since December 9 and just the third start on dirt of his career.
“He’s getting better,” Engler said. He really got on the ground. His numbers prove it.” “We finished ahead of (Seize the Gray) in the Blue Grass. I heard Seize the Gray was going to the Preakness, so that was a logical place.”
The main intrigue on the Preakness field was the Bob Baffert-trained duo of the Arkansas Derby (G1) winning Muth and San Felipe Stakes (G2) winner Imagination . Both horses were eligible to enter the Derby, but were not eligible to run due to Baffert’s suspension from Churchill Downs following a failed drug test that disqualified Medina Spirit from winning the Derby Kentucky 2021.
Muth will enter the Preakness after seven weeks of rest while Imagination has not raced in six weeks. Lukas believes the two colts waiting in the wings weighed heavily on the Preakness decision for many trainers. However, neither he nor McPeek were affected by Baffert’s presence.
“I’m not afraid of any (fresh horse), not even Muth,” McPeek said. “We’re in good shape. I’m not worried about other people’s horses. It’s hard to train my own horses, let alone other people’s horses.”
