'On to Baltimore': Kentucky Derby winner Mage will compete in the Preakness
Bring on the crab cakes and black-eyed Susans: Kentucky Derby winner Mage is heading to Baltimore.
After several days of careful consideration, Mage’s connections made it official Friday morning that the horse will stay in contention for the Triple Crown and compete in the $1.5 million, Grade 1 Preakness on May 20 at Pimlico Race Course.
The confirmation came after Mage galloped Friday morning at Churchill Downs.
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“He’s had a magnificent week of training,” co-owner Ramiro Restrepo said. “(Trainer Gustavo Delgado) is really pleased and over the moon with how he’s come back. He’s showed all of the positive signs, so it’s on to Baltimore.”
What are the positive signs?
“He hasn’t missed any meals,” Restrepo said. “He hasn’t missed any shredded carrots or mints. Everything you could ask for, he’s given us all the green lights.”
Mage has stayed in Louisville since winning the Kentucky Derby last Saturday by a length over Two Phil’s. The plan is for Mage to gallop Saturday morning at Churchill, get on a van in the afternoon and ship to Baltimore with an early Sunday morning arrival.
Mage on the track pic.twitter.com/mBNThBCf5f
— Derby News (@KentuckyDerbyCJ) May 12, 2023
After resting two days following his Kentucky Derby win, Mage has been eager on the track the past four days, according to Restrepo.
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“His energy levels, the way he’s striding out over the track, (exercise rider J.J. Delgado) said he hasn’t lost any luster from his pre-Kentucky Derby training,” Restrepo said. “He feels a lot of horse under him. The horse is just thriving right now.
“He was a little bored with the kid gloves we put on him the two days after the Derby. We were obviously wanting to monitor him. It was a great effort. … So you’re curious and cautious to see how they come out of it, and that’s why you don’t want to come to conclusions (about the Preakness). You have to let Mage talk.”
A victory in the Preakness would give Mage a chance to become the first Triple Crown winner since Justify in 2018.
The Belmont is set for June 10. Rich Strike, last year’s Kentucky Derby winner, skipped the Preakness before finishing sixth in the Belmont.
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The Preakness draw is set for Monday, with Mage among three Kentucky Derby contenders expected to compete. The others are Disarm (fourth place) and Confidence Game (10th place). The new shooters are Blazing Sevens, Chase the Chaos, First Mission, National Treasure, Perform and Red Route One.
Mage most likely will be the morning-line favorite. Derby-winning jockey Javier Castellano once again will have the mount in the Preakness.
“I have a great deal of confidence,” co-owner Chase Chamberlin said. “With the way he’s been training, I haven’t seen any difference between pre-Derby and even the days and weeks before that. I think he has an incredible rhythm going across the surface. He looks very, very confident.”
Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @KentuckyDerbyCJ.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Preakness to include Mage, Kentucky Derby winner, in Triple Crown bid
