Mage wins Kentucky Derby with a sprint.

Mage Wins 149th Kentucky Derby

Mage captured the first leg of U.S. thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown by winning the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky on Saturday. The chestnut colt, who finished second in the Florida Derby last month, finished the 1-1/4-mile race in two minutes and 1.57 seconds. Mage went off at 15-1 odds and sped up on the last stretch to take the lead and cross the finish line ahead of Two Phil’s, who was second, and Angel of Empire, one of the favorites, who finished in third place.

First Kentucky Derby Win for Venezuelan Trainer and Jockey

The victory was the first Kentucky Derby win for Venezuelan trainer Gustavo Delgado and Venezuelan Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, who won the Run for the Roses after 16 attempts. “I never give up, I always try hard, took a lot to get here I finally get it,” said Castellano. “I’m blessed. Thank you for the opportunity to run this horse, that has a lot of heart.” An emotional Delgado added: “When I arrived to the U.S. my first dream was go to Kentucky. I was sure that the horse was very good.”

Smallest Field Since 2020

This year’s race was marked by the number of horses scratched, including favorite Forte who became the fifth horse to be removed early on Saturday, leaving the field at 18 horses, the smallest field since 2020. Saturday’s Derby was also the culmination of a week stained by the death of seven horses, which led to the suspension of trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. Two horses, Chloe’s Dream and Freezing Point, had to be euthanized hours before Saturday’s race. Animal rights group PETA said that, given the number of deaths, they had urged Churchill Downs to close the track in order to mage-sprints-to-victory-at-the-kentucky-derby/” title=”Mage wins Kentucky Derby with a sprint.”>implement stronger safety protocols. “Churchill Downs is a killing field,” PETA’s senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo added in a separate statement.

Upcoming Triple Crown Races

The Preakness Stakes, second leg of the Triple Crown, will be run on May 20 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, followed by the Belmont Stakes three weeks later on June 10.