Mage Catches Derby After A Week of Suffering at Churchill Downs

The Mage, with Javier Castellano in it, won by a length, bringing joy and relief to the fans after a disappointing race in which seven horses died.

Mage, 15-1 shot with Javier Castellano up, wins the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.Credit…Mage, 15-1 shot with Javier Castellano up, wins the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.Credit…

LOUISVILLE, Ky. —the best thing you can say about the Kentucky Derby’s 149th running is that the 18 horses that made it to the starting gate on Saturday survived. That’s a relief after at least seven horses died at Churchill Downs in the last week, two of them on Saturday in a race ahead of America’s most famous race.

By the time the horses pulled up to the starting gates for the annual race celebrations on the first Saturday in May, everyone who loved the sport was thinking — no, praying — whether this spirit and its rider had safely covered the quarter mile. race.

Can you blame them?

In the past week, seven horses have died, one trainer and horse have been removed from the line by regulators on suspicion and four other Derby horses have been removed from racing. Most amazing was 3-1 a.m. favorite Forte — 2nd place last year — who Kentucky state vets decided Saturday morning wasn’t well enough to compete even after treating a bruised nail the past few days.

Forte was coached by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher. He is co-owned by passionate horse racing champion Mike Repole, who by his own estimate has spent $300 million buying horses, though he admits to being baffled by the dysfunction that can be tolerated in horse racing.

It was not a good day for life-supporting sports.

Horse racing is fighting for its life as animal rights activists call for its end at the same time waning interest among gamblers has put it on the losing side of the battle with online sports betting.

The fragile nature of the purebred itself was front and center with a Wild Derby on Ice participant, who was put to sleep after injuring his leg in training.

The belly of the sport was revealed when two horses trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. collapsed last week after racing under the famous Churchill twin towers. The Kentucky and Churchill Downs regulators, concerned by the unexplained deaths, told Joseph to take his horse and head home to his base in Florida.

Javier Castellano celebrates after driving the Mage to Kentucky Derby victory on Saturday.

There is no real explanation as to why Joseph was sent, and Churchill officials back up their assertion that traces of dirt and grass were not the cause of the horse’s repeated deaths. But on Saturday, after two more horses were loaded into a horse ambulance and then killed, Churchill officials declined to comment.

The record would see a colt named Mage win the classic mile and quarter in a solid 2:01.57 to give Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano his first and highly sought-after Derby victory. Castellano rode fellow Venezuelan compatriot Gustavo Delgado, trainer of the Mage, giving the Florida-based everyday equestrian the highest wins.

“He’s a small horse with a big heart,” said Castellano, who found the Derby win circle on his 15th try. “It was a dream ride for any jockey.”

Castellano, 45, was once America’s most dominating racer: He was crowned champion jockey every year from 2013 to 2016. His talent may not be waning, but his opportunities are diminishing, and his shadow is fading in the twilight of his career. .

He took over the Mage’s mount only after the younger Luis Saez left the Mage to ride one of the favourites, Tapit Trice. Castellano, an old man by jockey standards, welcomed the opportunity to become Delgado’s second choice.

“The whole team gave me the opportunity to ride this horse in the biggest races in the world,” said Castellano. “I’m very confident in myself this year will be his year.” That streak would see a colt named Mage win the classic mile and quarter in a solid 2:01.57 to give Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano his first and much-sought-after Derby win. Castellano rode for fellow Venezuelan compatriot Gustavo Delgado, the Mage’s trainer, giving the Florida-based everyday equestrian the highest wins.Mage Catches Derby After A Week of Suffering at Churchill Downs

The Mage, with Javier Castellano in it, won by a length, bringing joy and relief to the fans after a disappointing race in which seven horses died.

Mage, 15-1 shot with Javier Castellano up, wins the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.Credit…Mage, 15-1 shot with Javier Castellano up, wins the Kentucky Derby on Saturday.Credit…

LOUISVILLE, Ky. —the best thing you can say about the Kentucky Derby’s 149th running is that the 18 horses that made it to the starting gate on Saturday survived. That’s a relief after at least seven horses died at Churchill Downs in the last week, two of them on Saturday in a race ahead of America’s most famous race.

By the time the horses pulled up to the starting gates for the annual race celebrations on the first Saturday in May, everyone who loved the sport was thinking — no, praying — whether this spirit and its rider had safely covered the quarter mile. race.

Can you blame them?

In the past week, seven horses have died, one trainer and horse have been removed from the line by regulators on suspicion and four other Derby horses have been removed from racing. Most amazing was 3-1 a.m. favorite Forte — 2nd place last year — who Kentucky state vets decided Saturday morning wasn’t well enough to compete even after treating a bruised nail the past few days.

Forte was coached by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher. He is co-owned by passionate horse racing champion Mike Repole, who by his own estimate has spent $300 million buying horses, though he admits to being baffled by the dysfunction that can be tolerated in horse racing.

It was not a good day for life-supporting sports.

Horse racing is fighting for its life as animal rights activists call for its end at the same time waning interest among gamblers has put it on the losing side of the battle with online sports betting.

The fragile nature of the purebred itself was front and center with a Wild Derby on Ice participant, who was put to sleep after injuring his leg in training.

The belly of the sport was revealed when two horses trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. collapsed last week after racing under the famous Churchill twin towers. The Kentucky and Churchill Downs regulators, concerned by the unexplained deaths, told Joseph to take his horse and head home to his base in Florida.

Javier Castellano celebrates after driving the Mage to Kentucky Derby victory on Saturday.

There is no real explanation as to why Joseph was sent, and Churchill officials back up their assertion that traces of dirt and grass were not the cause of the horse’s repeated deaths. But on Saturday, after two more horses were loaded into a horse ambulance and then killed, Churchill officials declined to comment.

The record would see a colt named Mage win the classic mile and quarter in a solid 2:01.57 to give Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano his first and highly sought-after Derby victory. Castellano rode fellow Venezuelan compatriot Gustavo Delgado, trainer of the Mage, giving the Florida-based everyday equestrian the highest wins.

“He’s a small horse with a big heart,” said Castellano, who found the Derby win circle on his 15th try. “It was a dream ride for any jockey.”

Castellano, 45, was once America’s most dominating racer: He was crowned champion jockey every year from 2013 to 2016. His talent may not be waning, but his opportunities are diminishing, and his shadow is fading in the twilight of his career. .

He took over the Mage’s mount only after the younger Luis Saez left the Mage to ride one of the favourites, Tapit Trice. Castellano, an old man by jockey standards, welcomed the opportunity to become Delgado’s second choice.

“The whole team gave me the opportunity to ride this horse in the biggest races in the world,” said Castellano. “I’m very confident in myself this year will be his year.” That streak would see a colt named Mage win the classic mile and quarter in a solid 2:01.57 to give Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano his first and much-sought-after Derby win. Castellano rode for fellow Venezuelan compatriot Gustavo Delgado, the Mage’s trainer, giving the Florida-based everyday equestrian the highest wins.

“He’s a small horse with a big heart,” said Castellano, who found the Derby victory circle on his 15th try. “It was a dream ride for any jockey.”

Castellano, 45, was once America’s most dominating racer: He was crowned champion jockey every year from 2013 to 2016. His talent may not be waning, but his opportunities are diminishing, and his shadow is fading in the twilight of his career. .

He took over the Mage’s mount only after the younger Luis Saez left the Mage to ride one of the favourites, Tapit Trice. Castellano, an old man by jockey standards, welcomed the opportunity to become Delgado’s second choice.

“The whole team gave me the opportunity to ride this horse in the biggest races in the world,” said Castellano. “I have a lot of faith in myself this year will be the year.”

Mage didn’t race when he was 2 years old, and this is only his fourth start. He narrowly lost to Forte with Saez riding last month in the Florida Derby, stuck in the last strides.

“I never give up and try hard. It took me a while to get there, but I’m very blessed to be here,” said Castellano.

The Mage had to fight off a late spike by Two Phil to secure the win – which left Delgado breathless. Mage and Delgado clearly move into the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore and the second leg of the Triple Crown.

Still, Delgado was in no condition to say how he would prepare the horse.

“Give me at least a few days,” he said.

Horse racing also needs breath.

The spotlight should belong to Castellano and Delgado. Instead, it’s overshadowed by the almost inexplicable and admittedly stuttering sacrificial drum beats of one horse-racing nation, and one race track, known the world over.

American purebred breeds are some of the best athletes in the world—collectively they are worth tens of millions—and are the basis of a multi-billion dollar agribusiness industry. But the sport has lost ground drastically in the United States, where it was once revered as a cornerstone of the American character.

Either nature or neglect or abuse has these athletes swooning on the racetrack, immediately herded into horse vans to meet their doom.

It sure wasn’t the celebration of the American hobby anyone wanted