Michael Reaves/Getty Images
It was a magical afternoon at Churchill Downs on Saturday as Mage—listed at 15-1 before the race—used an incredible push down the stretch to win the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby.
Trained by Gustavo Delgado and jockeyed by Javier Castellano, Mage overcame a slow start out of the gate and had to chase down one of the pre-race favorites in Two Phil’s to come across first in the Run for of the Roses.
Entering Saturday, Mage only had three starts under his belt. So, not too bad of a result for a horse running in just the fourth race of his career, competing against a pretty loaded field.
Now, he’s one step closer to potentially taking home this year’s Triple Crown.
NBC Sports @NBCSports
Mage wins the Kentucky Derby!! 🏆#KyDerby pic.twitter.com/mNdxr9qa8N
NBC Sports @NBCSports
The full running of the 149th #KyDerby where MAGE emerged victorious! pic.twitter.com/hLKQsiZ835
Here are some of the key details from the race as well as a brief recap.
Order of Finish, Pre-Race Odds, Payouts
1. Mage (15-1): Win ($32.42), Place ($14.58), Show ($9.08)
2. Two Phil’s Place (9-1): Place ($10.44), Show ($6.52)
3. Angel of Empire (4-1): Show ($4.70)
4. Disarm (27-1)
5. Hit Show (24-1)
6. Derma Sotogake (7-1)
7. Tapit Trice (9-2)
8. Raise Cain (33-1)
9. Rocket Can (28-1)
10. Confidence Game (21-1)
11. Sun Thunder (33-1)
12. Mandarin Hero (17-1)
13. Reincarnate (14-1)
14. Kingsbarns (11-1)
15. King Russell (32-1)
16. Verifying (14-1)
17. Jace’s Road (33-1)
18. Cyclone Mischief (29-1
19. Skinner (Scratch)
20. Forte (Scratch)
Recap
The big story leading up to race was the horses who weren’t competing in the derby, with three of the favorites—Forte, Practical Move and Lord Miles—all being scratched for varying reasons.
Forte was the runaway favorite at 3-1 but was removed from the race just hours before the start with a bruised right front foot.
Mage was able to take advantage of that, albeit in a field that was still pretty loaded with three of the top five horses from qualifying all still competing.
He overcame a very bad start to the race, as he was slow out of the gate and toward the back of the pack over the first couple of turns before making his very strong move as the horses reached the top of the stretch.
From there, he still had plenty of work to do as he battled it out with Two Phil’s before ultimately pulling away for the win.
The two most exciting minutes in sports sure lived up to its name.
One of the biggest surprises from the race was the performance of Tapit Trice, who was one of the overwhelming favorites in the lead-up to the race at 9-2. Much like Mage, he had a slow start out of the gate.
But he was never able to recover, finishing a disappointing seventh.
The Preakness Stakes is just a few weeks away on May 20 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, where Mage will look to continue his surprising run.
Michael Reaves/Getty Images
It was a magical afternoon at Churchill Downs on Saturday as Mage—listed at 15-1 before the race—used an incredible push down the stretch to win the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby.
Trained by Gustavo Delgado and jockeyed by Javier Castellano, Mage overcame a slow start out of the gate and had to chase down one of the pre-race favorites in Two Phil’s to come across first in the Run for of the Roses.
Entering Saturday, Mage only had three starts under his belt. So, not too bad of a result for a horse running in just the fourth race of his career, competing against a pretty loaded field.
Now, he’s one step closer to potentially taking home this year’s Triple Crown.
NBC Sports @NBCSports
Mage wins the Kentucky Derby!! 🏆#KyDerby pic.twitter.com/mNdxr9qa8N
NBC Sports @NBCSports
The full running of the 149th #KyDerby where MAGE emerged victorious! pic.twitter.com/hLKQsiZ835
Here are some of the key details from the race as well as a brief recap.
Order of Finish, Pre-Race Odds, Payouts
1. Mage (15-1): Win ($32.42), Place ($14.58), Show ($9.08)
2. Two Phil’s Place (9-1): Place ($10.44), Show ($6.52)
3. Angel of Empire (4-1): Show ($4.70)
4. Disarm (27-1)
5. Hit Show (24-1)
6. Derma Sotogake (7-1)
7. Tapit Trice (9-2)
8. Raise Cain (33-1)
9. Rocket Can (28-1)
10. Confidence Game (21-1)
11. Sun Thunder (33-1)
12. Mandarin Hero (17-1)
13. Reincarnate (14-1)
14. Kingsbarns (11-1)
15. King Russell (32-1)
16. Verifying (14-1)
17. Jace’s Road (33-1)
18. Cyclone Mischief (29-1
19. Skinner (Scratch)
20. Forte (Scratch)
Recap
The big story leading up to race was the horses who weren’t competing in the derby, with three of the favorites—Forte, Practical Move and Lord Miles—all being scratched for varying reasons.
Forte was the runaway favorite at 3-1 but was removed from the race just hours before the start with a bruised right front foot.
Mage was able to take advantage of that, albeit in a field that was still pretty loaded with three of the top five horses from qualifying all still competing.
He overcame a very bad start to the race, as he was slow out of the gate and toward the back of the pack over the first couple of turns before making his very strong move as the horses reached the top of the stretch.
From there, he still had plenty of work to do as he battled it out with Two Phil’s before ultimately pulling away for the win.
The two most exciting minutes in sports sure lived up to its name.
One of the biggest surprises from the race was the performance of Tapit Trice, who was one of the overwhelming favorites in the lead-up to the race at 9-2. Much like Mage, he had a slow start out of the gate.
But he was never able to recover, finishing a disappointing seventh.
The Preakness Stakes is just a few weeks away on May 20 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, where Mage will look to continue his surprising run.
