Mage surged late to win the 2023 Kentucky Derby, the prestigious first leg of the Triple Crown, in an official time of 2:01.57. It's the second career win in four starts for Mage (15/1), whose trainer is Gustavo Delgado and jockey is Javier Castellano.
The race started with Verifying and Kingsbarns battling for the lead, but around the halfway point Mage came from deep in the pack to pass both of them. Mage then held off challenges from Angel of Empire and Two Phil's down the stretch en route to victory, finishing a length ahead of Two Phil's with Angel of Empire another half length behind.
Castellano explained after the race that his mentality was to "never give up, always try hard, do the right thing," and he saw his horse follow those same virtues.
"He's got a lot of heart," Castellano said of Mage after the race. "He's a little horse but [has] a big heart."
Mage last appeared in the Florida Derby, pushing Forte -- a Kentucky Derby favorite that was scratched hours before the race -- before losing by only a length. Forte wasn't around to to play spoiler at Churchill Downs, and Mage certainly took advantage.
The win for Mage is also a win for Venezuela, as it's the home country of both Delgado and Castellano. Delgado, who celebrated the win beside someone waving a Venezuelan flag, reflected on what the Kentucky Derby meant to him when he first arrived to the U.S.
"When I [came] to the United States, my first dream [was] go to the Kentucky Derby," an emotional Delgado said after the race.
Delgado can now check off his dream and a win to boot.
Cincinnati businessman Chase Chamberlin leads a group of 382 people who own Mage, and after the race he dedicated the horse's win to a fellow shareholder who died a mere two weeks before at age 38.
"The dream is alive. This is what horse racing's all about," Chamberlin said. "It's the only animal in the world that could take a million people for a ride all along or in our case, 382."
Skinner, Practical Move, Lord Miles and Continuar were scratched along with Forte, but their absences were far from the biggest story regarding safety at Churchill Downs in the week and hours leading up to the Kentucky Derby. Seven horses died at the Louisville track since April 27, with five coming in the week leading up to the Kentucky Derby while another two were euthanized after suffering injuries hours before post time.
The Preakness Stakes on May 20 is the next leg of the Triple Crown, but it's unclear whether Mage will take part. Mage has a chance to become the first horse since Justify in 2018 to follow a Kentucky Derby win with a victory at Pimlico Race Course.
2023 Kentucky Derby results, payouts
8 - Mage WIN: $32.42 PLACE: $14.58 SHOW: $9.08
3 - Two Phil's PLACE: $10.44 SHOW: $6.52
14 - Angel of Empire SHOW: $4.70
$2.00 Exacta 8-3 $330.44
$1.00 Trifecta 8-3-14 $982.36
$1.00 Superfecta 8-3-14-11 $15,643.60