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May 6 (UPI) -- Mage, a 15-1 long shot with only one previous win to his credit, came from far back in an 18-horse field in Saturday's 149th Kentucky Derby, got to the lead in deep stretch and ran on to win convincingly with Two Phil's second. The race climaxed a week that saw five of the original Derby entrants scratched, including the long-time favorite and reigning U.S. 2-year-old champion, Forte, who went out Saturday morning with a sore foot.
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When the 18 survivors left the starting gate at the top of the long Churchill Downs stretch, jockey Javier Castellano allowed Mage to settle far back in the field. He stayed there through most of the run down the backstretch as, for the second year in a row, a hot pace prevailed.
Verifying, second in the Grade I Blue Grass Stakes in his previous race, and Kingsbarn, the previously undefeated Louisiana Derby winner, led through the early furlongs of the Derby, running the first half mile in 45.73 seconds, with Two Phil's and Grade II Rebel Stakes winner Confidence Game in hot pursuit. The mile was clocked in 1:36.06.
Castellano got Mage going approaching the turn, swung around rivals and came widest of all into the stretch. By that point he was chasing Two Phil's, the Chicago-based colt who won the Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park, who took the front at the top of the lane.
Two Phil's had no answer to the late challenge, but held off Arkansas Derby winner Angel of Empire, who finished third, and Disarm, who finished fourth, with Hit Show fifth. Derma Sotogake, one of two Japanese-based horses in the field, finished sixth.
"He's a little horse with a big heart," Castellano said of Mage. "It was a dream trip for a jockey. ... It took me a while to get there but I never gave up."
After the early speed faded, the final time for the 1 1/4 miles on a fast track was a respectable 2:01.57.
Mage, is a Kentucky-bred colt by Good Magic. His dam, Puca, is by 2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Big Brown. He was bred by Grandview Equine and sold to New Team for $235,000 at the Keeneland 2021 September Yearling Sale.
He opened his career with a victory Jan. 28 at Gulfstream Park, and then finished fourth in the Grade II Fountain of Youth and second in the Grade I Florida Derby, both times behind Forte.
Jockey Castellano and trainer Gustavo Delgado, both natives of Venezuela, celebrated their first Kentucky Derby victory. Delgado's son and assistant, Gustavo Delgado Jr., said the emotion of the day almost overcame him.
"I can't believe it," he said in the Churchill Downs infield winner's circle, used only for the Kentucky Derby. "I have lost my words. It's an amazing feeling."
The younger Delgado said he was certain Mage would win the Derby when he saw Castellano begin his move toward the leaders.
"When he started making his move, I felt really confident. All the way, I felt confident. And when Javier started to go out there, I knew that he would sustain that move.
"Sometimes you've got to follow your intuition. That's pretty much what I did. Sometimes it pays off. Sometimes it doesn't. But now, it did."
Asked if Mage will go on to the second jewel of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 20, he hedged what seems to be a better bet than his Derby odds.
"Give me a couple days, OK?" was his response.
The actual running of the race climaxed a wild week that saw five of the original entries scratched, including Forte's race-day defection.
Another Derby contender, Wild On Ice, was euthanized after a training injury during the week before the race, and trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. was suspended by Churchill Downs after two of his horses died of uncertain causes shortly after racing during Derby week.
Wild as the week was, at least the weather held off -- barely. Rain started to fall just more than an hour after the Derby outcome was made official. The downpour, replete with lightning, was severe enough to cause delay of the final race on the program.
