Mage, trainer Gustavo Delgado provide reason to celebrate during unexpected Kentucky Derby

Trainer Gustavo Delgado Sr., filled with so much uncontrollable joy, ran through well-wishers and right past the national television reporter trying to corral him after Mage, making just his fourth start ever, captured the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby Saturday at Churchill Downs.

The Venezuelan native, who is based in Florida, waltzed all the way to the winner's circle to celebrate. His son and assistant trainer Gustavo Delgado Jr., who himself was breathing like a sprinter after his burst from the stands to the track, was left to sum up exactly what this win meant for his dad. Delgado Sr., has won the equivalent of the triple crown in Venezuela.

But this was a different kind of validation.

Delgado Sr. said he was very happy, but added he spoke limited English and was content to let his son, jockey Javier Castellano and part-owner Ramiro Restrepo speak for him.

Delgado Jr. remembered as a kid when his father said during the height of his success in Venezuela that "one day we should go to the States and try to win one of those races."

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It was his third try in the Kentucky Derby after he finished 13th with Bodexpress in 2019 and 18th with Majesto in 2016. Delgado qualified with Caracaro in 2020, but when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the race to be moved to September, he was injured in August and had to withdraw.

Nothing hindered Mage's trip Saturday.

Delgado Jr. said "everything went according to plan," even the note he wrote to himself last year that they would win the 149th Kentucky Derby.

"I started to believe in myself that we were as capable as anybody to win big things," Delgado Jr. said. "Now we're thinking big, acting big and expecting big things to happen."

Mage, the son of Good Magic, seemed like he had a good omen when he shipped to Churchill Downs. The 3-year-old chestnut was put in the same barn (42) as Secretariat was 50 years ago.

Mage's victory felt like the first time it was really OK to celebrate all week.

The 50th anniversary of Secretariat’s Kentucky Derby win — and first jewel in an an awe-inspiring Triple Crown — should have been a week-long celebration. A reminder of a time when the sport was viewed as one of the nation's traditions.

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Sure, the revelry was the same Saturday. The celebrities came out in droves including Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes giving the "riders up" call in the paddock.

Men were decked in seersucker suits, fedoras and bow ties were plentiful. Women wore big hats and fascinators with enough feathers to fly away. The combinations of mint juleps and bourbon had people on the infield enjoying the environment but not necessarily paying attention to the race.

Underneath the smiles, shrieking and people who wagered yelling some variation of "go baby go" as horses dashed down the stretch, an uneasy reality remained right below the surface.

Maybe it’s just a most incredible run of bad luck, but something felt off.

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Winning jockey: Javier Castellano rides Mage to victory in the 2023 Kentucky Derby

There are scratches every year, but this was the first time in nearly a century that five horses scratched in the Kentucky Derby. The last time it happened was 1936 when 19 entered the field and only 14 ran.

And rarely does it happen the morning of the race to the morning-line favorite.

Forte, a 3-1 favorite, was pulled at 9 a.m., well before most of the Churchill Downs crowd arrived.

During a gallop Thursday morning Forte bobbled for a stride, which led to the son of Violence wearing a three-quarter shoe on his right front foot on his final gallop Friday morning.

Trainer Todd Pletcher said on NBC’s broadcast that some years, the veterinarian examining Forte probably would have let the horse run on a bruised foot.

Not this year. Not with Churchill Downs hitting a trifecta of trouble with suspensions, scratches and death.

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The absence of trainer Bob Baffert, who has six Kentucky Derby wins and is arguably the best in the sport, didn't rise to the level of being discussed much. Baffert is serving the second year of his two-year ban from Churchill Downs, after Medina Spirit tested positive for betamethasone after winning the 2021 Kentucky Derby.

Seven horse deaths cast a pall over the race the entire week.

Years from now, the names of the fallen horses may be remembered just as much as Mage for winning it.

Wild On Ice, who qualified for the Kentucky Derby, was the biggest name and first to be euthanized during a nine-day stretch. In town for undercard races over the past week, Take Charge Briana and Code of Kings were also euthanized following injuries at Churchill Downs.

Chasing Artie and Parents Pride, both trained by Saffie Joseph, collapsed and died in what are still unexplained deaths after turf races. Joseph was suspended by Churchill Downs after he agreed to scratch his remaining horses, including Kentucky Derby entrant Lord Miles.

The news of the deaths were well reported. But on Saturday, a national television audience learned about two more horses who were euthanized hours before Derby 149. Chloe’s Dream was injured during Race 2 Saturday morning and Freezing Point during the Pat Day Mile in Race 8.

"I'm sure there's going to be some investigations done as to the reasons behind that and hopefully that provides a few more answers," Restrepo said.

Perhaps the 12th race of the day can help begin changing the narrative.

Restrepo credited Delgado for being patient with Mage. They did not rush him into action as a 2-year-old, instead opting to wait until the horse appeared physically ready to run.

"It's always let the horse dictate when he's going to achieve his top level of fitness," Restrepo said.

With the amount of bad publicity horse racing received during the week, Delgado's restraint should be emulated.

Fans filling out of Churchill Downs stopped to take selfies in front of the bronze statue of Secretariat and jockey Ron Turcotte in his No. 2 silks. If racing ever could use another horse to capture casual fans and erase the cloud currently hovering over the sport, it is now.

Reach sports columnist C.L. Brown at clbrown1@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @CLBrownHoops.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky Derby 2023: Trainer Gustavo Delgado Sr. prepared Mage for win