Mage’s magic in 2023 Kentucky Derby brightens a dark week for horse racing

After what had been a dark week at Churchill Downs, a Venezuelan victory burst through the clouds to brighten Kentucky Derby 149.

Following in the footsteps of 1971 Kentucky Derby winner Canonero II from Venezuela, Mage was the surprise winner of the 2023 Run for the Roses, accelerating in mid-stretch to give veteran Venezuelan trainer Gustavo Delgado and 45-year-old Venezuelan jockey Javier Castellano each their first Kentucky Derby victories.

“I’m very, very happy,” said Delgado, who came to America to train in South Florida eight years ago. “I’m happy for Javier, for my team, for Mage, for my owner, for my family.”

The son of 2018 Kentucky Derby runner-up Good Magic finished a length ahead of Two Phil’s, with Angel of Empire running third. Disarm ran fourth. At odds of 15-1, Mage paid $32.42 to win, $14.58 to place and $9.08 to show. Two Phil’s paid $10.44 and $6.52. Angel of Empire paid $4.70. A $2 exacta paid $330.44. A 50-cent trifecta paid $491.18.

Mage is owned by OGMA Investments, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing and CMNLWTH. He is out of the mare Puca by 2008 Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown. He was a $235,000 purchase by New Team at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale who was re-sold to Omega Investments for $290,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Two-Years-Old in Training Sale in 2022.

Like Triple Crown winner Justify in 2018, Mage was unraced at age 2. He broke his maiden Jan. 28 at Gulfstream before finishing fourth in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth on March 4 and second in the Grade 1 Florida Derby when he was passed near the wire by 2-year-old champion Forte.

Alas, Forte was not among the 18 Kentucky Derby runners on Saturday. Owned by Mike Repole and St. Elias Stables and trained by Todd Pletcher, the 3-1 morning-line favorite for the Derby was scratched on the morning of the race — the first morning-line favorite to do so since I Want Revenge in 2009 — by the state veterinarian for a bruised right foot.

Forte was the fifth Kentucky Derby entrant overall scratched from the race this year, the most since 1936. He joined Santa Anita Derby winner Practical Move, Skinner, Continuar and Wood Memorial winner Lord Miles as entries sidelined before the race.

Lord Miles was scratched after trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. was suspended indefinitely by Churchill Downs after two from Joseph’s stable were euthanized following races at the track. Parent Pride collapsed last Saturday. Chasing Artie collapsed on Tuesday.

The week before the race, Sunland Park Derby winner Wild On Ice was euthanized after suffering a training accident. Two more horses were euthanized on Derby Day. Chloe’s Dream was put down after the second race. Freezing Point was euthanized after being injured in the Pat Day Mile. That brought the number of horses who have died at the track this meet to seven in just over a week.

As for the Derby, Delgado entered 0-for-2 in the race. He had finished 18th with Majesto in 2016 and and 13th with Bodexpress in 2019.

And before Saturday, Castellano was 0-for-15 in the Derby. His best finish was third aboard Audible in 2018. As well, Castellano had ridden Mage in the Fountain of Youth but lost the Florida Derby mount to fellow jockey Luis Saez, who opted to ride Tapit Trice in the Derby.

Winner of the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, Tapit Trice and Arkansas Derby winner Angel of Empire traded spots all day on the tote board for the honor of being race-time favorite. But while Angel of Empire made a late charge to finish third for trainer Brad Cox, Tapit Trice ran seventh for Pletcher.

The duo of Japanese-bred horses did not live up to their pre-race billing in front of 150,335 at Churchill Downs. UAE Derby winner Derma Sotogake ran seventh while Santa Anita Derby runner-up Mandarin Hero was a disappointing 12th.

Louisiana Derby winner Kingsbarns, who like Mage had run in just three previous starts, finished 14th for Pletcher out of the 18 horses in the race.

Mage actually missed the break from the gate, but made up ground under Castellano, who took his time throughout before finally winning the race he always wanted to win.

“Sometimes, you feel embarrassed when you ride so many times and don’t see the results,” Castellano said of the Derby, “but I didn’t give up.”

Gustavo Delgado Jr., who assists his father in training, said afterward he hoped Forte would recover from his injury.

“We faced Forte a couple of times and we respected the horse a lot going into the race,” he said. “Forte hopefully is going to be fine and we’ll face him again later down the line.”

With the events of the last week, however, there is no getting around the hard truth that Thoroughbred horse racing is in a rough spot with the general public right now, attracting attention for all the wrong reasons.

At least in this Kentucky Derby, Venezuelan connections brought nothing but smiles.

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