Competitors are seen during the 149th Kentucky Derby “Run For The Roses” at Churchill Downs on May 6, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky.
Stephen J. Cohen | Getty Images Entertainment | beautiful pictures
Mage won the 149th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, on Saturday to qualify for the first leg of the Triple Crown of the United States thoroughbred race.
Mage, who finished second in the Florida Derby last month, finished the quarter-mile race in two minutes and 1.57 seconds.
The chestnut pony, coming out 15-1, sped up in the final stretch to take the lead and cross the finish line ahead of Two Phil’s, who finished second, and Angel of Empire, one of the favorite candidate, who finished in second place. the third position.
The win was the first in the Kentucky Derby for Venezuelan coach Gustavo Delgado and Venezuelan Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, who won the Run for the Roses. after 16 attempts.
Castellano said: “I never give up, I always give my best, it took a lot to get here, I finally got it. “I’m so lucky. Thank you for the opportunity to run this horse, it has so many hearts.”
Delgado added: “When I came to America, my first dream was to go to Kentucky. I was sure that horse was very good.”
This year’s race is marked by numbers scratched horseincluding favorite Forte, who became the fifth horse to be eliminated early on Saturday, leaving the field with 18 horses, the smallest yard since 2020.
Saturday’s Derby was also the culmination of a week colored by the deaths of seven horses, which resulted in trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. suspended from work. Two horses, Chloe’s Dream and Freezing Point, yes dead hours before Saturday’s race.
Churchill Downs said: “We are deeply saddened to report these tragic, fatal injuries. Churchill Downs is steadfast in our commitment to the health and safety of our horses,” Churchill Downs said.
Animal rights group PETA said that, given the death toll, it had urged Churchill Downs to close the track to implement stronger safety protocols.
“Churchill Downs is a field of death,” PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo more in a separate statement.
Preakness Stakes, the second stage of the Triple Crown, will take place on May 20 at Pimlico Speedway in Baltimore, followed by Belmont Stakes three weeks later on June 10.
