Mage won the Kentucky Derby on a fast track on May 6th, 2023, and the weather was again perfect for racing and for the fans. He was owned by OGMA Investments LLC. Ramiro Restre and trained by Delgado Gustavo and ridden by JJ Castellano and was sired by Good Magic (Curlin) out of a Big Brown mare (Puca). He was a chestnut colt and the principals (syndicate of 382 people) were from Venezuela and actually similar in context to the 1971 winner, Cannonero II. There were only 18 colts in the race because several horses were scratched after they were entered. Mage had only been out 3 times prior to the Derby due to not racing as a two-year old and was overlooked by us because of that statistic.

He had run 2nd to Forte in the FL Derby on April 1st (a 5 week layoff) at Gulfstream Park with a Beyer rating of 94 and was a fresh colt. He started slowly and was lagging at the back being 3rd last or 16th out of 18 colts before launching a wide rally on the 2nd turn and on down the stretch to catch Two Phils who has moved swiftly on the final turn to take the lead at the mile pole. He caught Two Phils in mid-stretch and inched away in the final furlong (1/8th mile) to win by a length. The hot pace of 1:10.11 for 6 furlongs cooked the frontrunners except for Two Phils who hung in there despite the killer pace. Mage paid $32.42 to Win and earned $1.86 Million Dollars for his effort.

We were not able to view the horses in the paddock due to our seats.  Churchill Downs again furnished us with a table in the brand-new Frist Turn Club and with easy access to the track, but it was hard to see any of the horses up close. A few chosen wide screen TV views of the paddock area were obliterated by the crowded paddock area (temporary).  I suppose I need some excuse for losing. HA! We did not cash a bet on the Derby and must re-visit our strategy to meet the changes in training methods, etc.

However, the 6 of us had a grand time taking in the ambiance of the new facility and ate and drank liberally throughout the day. We thank Churchill Downs and Kim Tobin, VP of Executive Administration for enabling me to attend the 149th Kentucky Derby in style. I hope to attend the 150th Derby next year if I can make it through the next 11 months. Of course, we celebrated anyway with our favorite bourbon and all voiced the familiar refrain, (wait ’til next year)!!