Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan continuing on to the Preakness far from a sure thing

When the officials from Pimlico Race Course called Kenny McPeek on Sunday morning to offer an official invitation to the Preakness Stakes, the trainer had but one question.

“Can I bring my dog?” McPeek asked with a grin.

While McPeek got the go-ahead to bring his yellow Labrador Sonny to Baltimore, the trainer was noncommittal on whether Kentucky Derby 150 winner Mystik Dan will be running the second jewel of the Triple Crown on May 18.

“We’re not committed to the Preakness. Not yet,” McPeek said after the phone call. “I ran him back once in two weeks and it completely backfired on me. We skipped the Rebel (Stakes) because it was back too quick, as well. … It’ll be one of those (decisions) where we take it up to the last minute.”

Mystik Dan did leave some feed in his tub Saturday night after winning a three-horse photo finish with runner-up Sierra Leone and third-place finisher Forever Young.

Coupled with Thorpedo Anna’s win in Friday’s Kentucky Oaks, McPeek became the first trainer to execute the Oaks/Derby double since the legendary Ben Jones accomplished the feat for Calumet Farm in 1952.

“An overnight sensation, 40 years later,” McPeek joked Sunday.

Saturday was a win for the good guys. The 61-year-old McPeek is a Tates Creek High School and University of Kentucky graduate who admits he spent a good portion of his time in the library at the UK agricultural school pouring over the bloodline histories in the BloodHorse and the old Thoroughbred Record.

His first Kentucky Derby horse, Tejano Run, finished second in 1995. He won the 2002 Belmont with Sarava and the 2022 Preakness with the filly Swiss Skydiver. He was 0-for-9 in the Derby, however, including 2002 when he saddled the favorite, Harlan’s Holiday. After a seventh-place finish, the owners moved the colt to a different trainer.

Mystik Dan was a different colt, however. Outside of the post-time favorite Fierceness, Mystik Dan had run the only triple-digit Beyer Speed Figure — 101 for his 8-length win in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes — in the Derby field. Even a third-place finish in the Arkansas Derby didn’t dampen McPeek’s enthusiasm about his Derby chances.

“I’ve thought for three weeks he was going to win the race,” he said Sunday. “I had a calm about it. I just did.”

He again credited the terrific ride from jockey Brian Hernandez, a regular on McPeek’s horses. Out of the No. 3 post position, Hernandez guided Mystik Dan to victory along the Churchill rail. In fact, Hernandez’s boots even sported rail paint to prove it.

“We don’t win the race without the job that Brian did,” McPeek said.

The Preakness is also a different deal. These days, connections rarely run their horses in races two weeks apart. After Mystik Dan broke his maiden with a win at Churchill Downs on Nov. 12, McPeek ran the colt back in an optional claiming race at Churchill on Nov. 25, where Mystik Dan finished fifth.

“We’ll let him tell us,” McPeek said. “If he’s not in the feed tub, he won’t run. And he ran hard yesterday. So we’ll see.”

Forever Young and Sierra Leone won’t be in Baltimore. Forever Young must return to his home country of Japan before May 15 or be quarantined for three months. Trainer Chad Brown said Sunday that Sierra Leone will be pointed toward the Belmont Stakes at Saratoga, where the race will be run at a mile-and-a-quarter while Belmont Park is under renovation.

McPeek is headed to Saratoga, as well. He said he will leave for New York on Monday to set up his barn at the historic track.

After finally winning the Kentucky Derby, how hard would it be to not run Mystik Dan back in the Preakness?

“I don’t think it would be hard,” McPeek said. “I’ll talk to (the owners) and the team here and like I said, we’re going to let the horse tell us. If I don’t think he’s right and ready, we’ll just wait for the Belmont.”

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