Mage (horse) explained

Horsename:Mage
Sire:Good Magic
Grandsire:Curlin
Dam:Puca
Damsire:Big Brown
Sex:Colt
Foaled: April 18, 2020
Kentucky, U.S.[1]
Country:United States
Color:Chestnut
Breeder:Grandview Equine
Owner:OGMA Investments, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing & Commonwealth Thoroughbreds
Trainer:Gustavo Delgado
Record:7: 2–2–1
Earnings:$2,507,450[2]
Race:American Triple Crown wins:
Kentucky Derby (2023)
Updated:26 August 2023

Mage (foaled April 18, 2020)[2] is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2023 Kentucky Derby.[3]

Background

Mage is a chestnut colt bred in Kentucky by Grandview Equine. His sire Good Magic was the U.S. Champion Two-Year-Old in 2017 after he won the 2017 Breeders' Cup Juvenile as a maiden; in 2018 he finished second in the Kentucky Derby.[4]

His dam, Puca, is a daughter of Big Brown. Mage was initially sold for $235,000 to New Team from the Runnymede Farm consignment at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Mage is the second black-type horse out of his dam's four foals, the other being a stakes-placed Gun Runner filly named Gunning. Mage's full brother Dornoch is also a grade-I stakes winner, having won the 2024 Belmont Stakes. The dam, a stakes-winning half sister to Grade I winner Finnegans Wake, also has a yearling colt by McKinzie.[4] Mage is a descendent of Darley Arabian.[5]

He is trained by Gustavo Delgado, a four-time Venezuelan Triple Crown-winning trainer.[4]

Mage is owned by OGMA Investments, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing and Commonwealth Thoroughbreds.[6] Commonwealth Thoroughbreds is a micro-shares partnership that formed after Restrepo and Delgado acquired the colt above their initial budget from the Sequel Bloodstock consignment at Fasig-Tipton's Midlantic Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale in May 2022, having cost $290,000.[4]

Career

Mage began his career as a three-year-old on January 28, 2023, with a victory in his first start, a Maiden Special Weight event over seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park.

His next start was in the Grade II Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park where he finished fourth by about seven lengths to the 2022 US Champion Two-Year-Old Forte.

Four weeks later, Mage entered the Grade I Florida Derby where he finished second to Forte after leading in the straight, beaten by a length. Trainer Gustavo Delgado indicated, "(Mage) might have gotten tired but remember, it's still his third race. How many races did it take Forte to get to the level he is?"[7] Mage collected 40 qualification points on the 2023 Road to the Kentucky Derby and with his fourth in the Fountain of Youth Stakes qualified to start in the Kentucky Derby.

Kentucky Derby

Mage broke slowly in the Derby as he did in his previous two close losing efforts. Jockey Javier Castellano allowed his mount to settle toward the back of the field of 18. A fast pace proved to his benefit, with fractions of :22.35, :45.73, and 1:10.11 set by frontrunners Verifying, Kingsbarns, and Reincarnate. Castellano picked his opportunities to advance and had Mage up to sixth by the mile marker. Down the lane, the lightly raced colt caught leader Two Phil's to win by a length in a final time of 2:01.57.[4] At post-time, Mage went off at 15–1 to win.[8] He joins Regret (1915), Big Brown (2008), and Justify (2018) as the only Derby winners who had only three prior starts. Mage, Justify, and Apollo (1882) are the only horses to win the Derby without having raced as two-year-olds.[4]

Statistics

DateDistanceRaceGradeTrackOddsFieldFinishWinning
Time
Winning
(Losing)
Margin
JockeyRef
2023 – Three-year-old season
7 furlongs Maiden Special WeightGulfstream Park11.60811:22.54 lengths[9]
milesFountain of Youth StakesII Gulfstream Park5.90941:43.12 (lengths)[10]
milesFlorida DerbyI Gulfstream Park4.701221:49.37 (1 length)[11]
milesKentucky DerbyI Churchill Downs15.211812:01.57[12]
miles Preakness StakesI Pimlico1.40*731:55.12[13]
miles I Monmouth Park4.30821:49.52 [14]
milesTravers StakesI Saratoga4.70772:02.23 (15 lengths)[15]
Notes:
An (*) asterisk after the odds means Mage was the post-time favourite.

Pedigree

*^ Mage is inbred 4S x 5S x 4D to the stallion Mr Prospector, meaning that he appears fourth and fifth generation (via Miswaki)^ on the sire side of his pedigree and fourth generation on the dam side of his pedigree.

* Mage is inbred 4S x 4D to the stallion Danzig, meaning that he appears fourth generation on the sire side of his pedigree and fourth generation on the dam side of his pedigree.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Pedigree of Mage . Equineline . May 7, 2023.
  2. Web site: Profile of Mage . 26 August 2023 . May 6, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230506231801/https://www.equibase.com/profiles/Results.cfm?type=Horse&refno=10795218&registry=T&rbt=TB . live .
  3. Web site: Mage Kentucky Derby Horse Odds, History and Predictions (Longshot Trending in Right Direction). May 4, 2023. The Duel. May 6, 2023. May 6, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230506231305/https://www.fanduel.com/theduel/posts/mage-kentucky-derby-horse-odds-history-predictions-01gzkyaxwbhs. live.
  4. Web site: King . Byron . Mage Rallies to Thrilling Kentucky Derby Victory With a rally near the center of the track, Mage edged past Two Phil's to win. . Bloodhorse.com . 7 May 2023 . 6 May 2023 . May 7, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230507175307/https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/268436/mage-rallies-to-thrilling-kentucky-derby-victory . live .
  5. Web site: Marske (GB). Thoroughbred Bloodlines. May 7, 2023. May 7, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230507040007/https://www.bloodlines.net/TB/Bios/Marske.htm. live.
  6. Web site: Lightly raced Mage wins the 2023 Kentucky Derby for his connections from Venezuela . Cameron . Drummond . Lexington Herald Leader . May 7, 2023 . May 6, 2023 . May 6, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240506141931/https://www.kentucky.com/sports/horses/kentucky-derby/article274780721.html . live .
  7. Web site: McCarthy . Charlie . 1 April 2023 . Forte Runs Down Mage in Florida Derby Thriller . 3 April 2023 . . April 4, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230404023635/https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/267600/forte-runs-down-mage-in-florida-derby-thriller . live .
  8. Web site: Kentucky Derby 2023: Mage pulls off upset in Run for Roses . May 7, 2023 . May 6, 2024 . https://archive.today/20240506142242/https://www.app.com/story/sports/2023/05/06/kentucky-derby-2023-mage-pulls-off-upset-to-win-run-for-roses/70182749007/ . live .
  9. Web site: Chart for Maiden Special Weight January 28, 2023 at Gulfstream Park – Race 2 . equibase.com . January 28, 2022 . May 7, 2023 . May 7, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230507035212/https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?RACE=2&BorP=P&TID=GP&CTRY=USA&DT=01/28/2023&DAY=D&STYLE=EQB . live .
  10. Web site: 2023 Fountain of Youth Stakes Grade 2 (race 14) . Equibase . 4 March 2023 . 5 March 2023 . May 6, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240506142619/http://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?RACE=14&BorP=P&TID=GP&CTRY=USA&DT=03/04/2023&DAY=D&STYLE=EQB . live .
  11. Web site: 2023 Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa Grade 1 (race 14) . Equibase . 1 April 2023 . 1 April 2023 . April 2, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230402101940/https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?RACE=14&BorP=P&TID=GP&CTRY=USA&DT=04/01/2023&DAY=D&STYLE=EQB . live .
  12. Web site: 2023 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve Grade 1 (race 12) . Equibase . May 6, 2023 . May 7, 2023 . May 7, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230507061705/https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?RACE=12&BorP=P&TID=CD&CTRY=USA&DT=05/06/2023&DAY=D&STYLE=EQB . live .
  13. Web site: Preakness Stakes (Grade 1 – race 13) . equibase.com . 20 May 2023 . 20 May 2023 . January 10, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240110052400/https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?RACE=13&BorP=P&TID=PIM&CTRY=USA&DT=05/20/2023&DAY=D&STYLE=EQB . live .
  14. Web site: 2023 TVG.com Haskell Stakes Grade 1 - (race 12) . Equibase . 22 July 2023 . 23 July 2023 . July 23, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230723094730/https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?RACE=12&BorP=P&TID=MTH&CTRY=USA&DT=07/22/2023&DAY=D&STYLE=EQB . live .
  15. Web site: 2023 Travers Stakes Grade 1 (race 12) . Equibase . 26 August 2023 . 26 August 2023 . September 29, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230929141505/https://www.equibase.com/premium/eqbPDFChartPlus.cfm?RACE=12&BorP=P&TID=SAR&CTRY=USA&DT=08/26/2023&DAY=D&STYLE=EQB . live .