Mage (horse)
{{Short description|Thoroughbred race horse, winner of the 2023 Kentucky Derby}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox racehorse
| horsename = Mage
| image_name =
| caption = Mage in 2023
| sire = Good Magic
| grandsire = Curlin
| dam = Puca
| damsire = Big Brown
| sex = Stallion
| foaled = {{Birth date and age|April 18, 2020}}
Kentucky, U.S.{{cite web |title=Pedigree of Mage |url=https://www.equineline.com/Free-5X-Pedigree.cfm/Mage?page_state=DISPLAY_REPORT&reference_number=10795218®istry=T&horse_name=Mage&dam_name=Puca&foaling_year=2020&include_sire_line=Y&include_truenick=Y |website=Equineline |access-date=May 7, 2023}}
| death_date =
| country = United States
| color = Chestnut
| breeder = Grandview Equine
| owner = OGMA Investments, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing & Commonwealth Thoroughbreds
| trainer = Gustavo Delgado
| record =7: 2–2–1
| race = American Triple Crown wins:
Kentucky Derby (2023)
| updated =26 August 2023
}}
Mage (foaled April 18, 2020) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2023 Kentucky Derby.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fanduel.com/theduel/posts/mage-kentucky-derby-horse-odds-history-predictions-01gzkyaxwbhs|title=Mage Kentucky Derby Horse Odds, History and Predictions (Longshot Trending in Right Direction)|date=May 4, 2023|website=The Duel|access-date=May 6, 2023|archive-date=May 6, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230506231305/https://www.fanduel.com/theduel/posts/mage-kentucky-derby-horse-odds-history-predictions-01gzkyaxwbhs|url-status=live}}
Background
Mage is a chestnut colt bred in Kentucky by Grandview Equine. His sire Good Magic was the U.S. Champion Two-Year-Old in 2017 after he won the 2017 Breeders' Cup Juvenile as a maiden; in 2018 he finished second in the Kentucky Derby.{{cite web |last1=King |first1=Byron |title=Mage Rallies to Thrilling Kentucky Derby Victory With a rally near the center of the track, Mage edged past Two Phil's to win. |url=https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/268436/mage-rallies-to-thrilling-kentucky-derby-victory |website=Bloodhorse.com |access-date=7 May 2023 |date=6 May 2023 |archive-date=May 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230507175307/https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/268436/mage-rallies-to-thrilling-kentucky-derby-victory |url-status=live }}
His dam, Puca, is a daughter of Big Brown. Mage was initially sold for $235,000 to New Team from the Runnymede Farm consignment at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Mage is the second black-type horse out of his dam's four foals, the other being a stakes-placed Gun Runner filly named Gunning. Mage's full brother Dornoch is also a grade-I stakes winner, having won the 2024 Belmont Stakes. The dam, a stakes-winning half sister to Grade I winner Finnegans Wake, also has colt by McKinzie named Baeza, who finished 3rd in the 2025 Kentucky Derby. Mage is a descendent of Darley Arabian.{{cite web|url=https://www.bloodlines.net/TB/Bios/Marske.htm|title=Marske (GB)|work=Thoroughbred Bloodlines|access-date=May 7, 2023|archive-date=May 7, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230507040007/https://www.bloodlines.net/TB/Bios/Marske.htm|url-status=live}}
He is trained by Gustavo Delgado, a four-time Venezuelan Triple Crown-winning trainer.
Mage is owned by OGMA Investments, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing and Commonwealth Thoroughbreds.{{cite web |url=https://www.kentucky.com/sports/horses/kentucky-derby/article274780721.html |title=Lightly raced Mage wins the 2023 Kentucky Derby for his connections from Venezuela |first=Cameron |last=Drummond |work=Lexington Herald Leader |date=May 7, 2023 |access-date=May 6, 2023 |archive-date=May 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240506141931/https://www.kentucky.com/sports/horses/kentucky-derby/article274780721.html |url-status=live }} Commonwealth Thoroughbreds is a micro-shares partnership that formed after Restrepo and Delgado acquired the colt above their initial budget from the Sequel Bloodstock consignment at Fasig-Tipton's Midlantic Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale in May 2022, having cost $290,000.
Career
Mage began his career as a three-year-old on January 28, 2023, with a victory in his first start, a Maiden Special Weight event over seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park.
His next start was in the Grade II Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park where he finished fourth by about seven lengths to the 2022 US Champion Two-Year-Old Forte.
Four weeks later, Mage entered the Grade I Florida Derby where he finished second to Forte after leading in the straight, beaten by a length. Trainer Gustavo Delgado indicated, "(Mage) might have gotten tired but remember, it's still his third race. How many races did it take Forte to get to the level he is?"{{Cite web |last=McCarthy |first=Charlie |date=1 April 2023 |title=Forte Runs Down Mage in Florida Derby Thriller |url=https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/267600/forte-runs-down-mage-in-florida-derby-thriller |access-date=3 April 2023 |publisher=The Blood-Horse |archive-date=April 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404023635/https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/267600/forte-runs-down-mage-in-florida-derby-thriller |url-status=live }} Mage collected 40 qualification points on the 2023 Road to the Kentucky Derby and with his fourth in the Fountain of Youth Stakes qualified to start in the Kentucky Derby.
=Kentucky Derby=
Mage broke slowly in the Derby as he did in his previous two close losing efforts. Jockey Javier Castellano allowed his mount to settle toward the back of the field of 18. A fast pace proved to his benefit, with fractions of :22.35, :45.73, and 1:10.11 set by frontrunners Verifying, Kingsbarns, and Reincarnate. Castellano picked his opportunities to advance and had Mage up to sixth by the mile marker. Down the lane, the lightly raced colt caught leader Two Phil's to win by a length in a final time of 2:01.57. At post-time, Mage went off at 15–1 to win.{{cite web | url=https://www.app.com/story/sports/2023/05/06/kentucky-derby-2023-mage-pulls-off-upset-to-win-run-for-roses/70182749007/ | title=Kentucky Derby 2023: Mage pulls off upset in Run for Roses | access-date=May 7, 2023 | archive-date=May 6, 2024 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20240506142242/https://www.app.com/story/sports/2023/05/06/kentucky-derby-2023-mage-pulls-off-upset-to-win-run-for-roses/70182749007/ | url-status=live }} He joins Regret (1915), Big Brown (2008), and Justify (2018) as the only Derby winners who had only three prior starts. Mage, Justify, and Apollo (1882) are the only horses to win the Derby without having raced as two-year-olds.
{{Clear}}
Statistics
| class = "wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center; width:94%; font-size:90%" |
| scope="col" | Date
! scope="col" | Distance ! scope="col" | Race ! scope="col" | Grade ! scope="col" | Track ! scope="col" | Odds ! scope="col" | Field ! scope="col" | Finish ! scope="col" | Winning ! scope="col" | Winning ! scope="col" | Jockey ! scope="col" class="unsortable"| Ref |
|---|
| style="background-color:white"
|align="left" colspan=12|2023 – Three-year-old season |
| {{dts|2023|Jan|28|format=mdy}}
| {{ntsh|7.0}} 7 furlongs | {{ntsh|6}} Maiden Special Weight | {{ntsh|5}} | 11.60 | 8 | 1 | 1:22.54 | {{ntsh|3.75}}{{frac|3|3|4}} lengths | {{sortname|Edgar|Perez|nolink=1}} |
| {{dts|2023|Mar |4|format=mdy}}
| {{ntsh|8.5}} {{frac|1|1|16}} miles | {{ntsh|2}}II |5.90 | 9 | 4 | 1:43.12 | {{ntsh |
| 6.75}} ({{frac|6|3|4}} lengths)
| {{sortname|Javier|Castellano}} |
| {{dts|2023|Apr|1|format=mdy}}
| {{ntsh|9.0}} {{frac|1|1|8}} miles | {{ntsh|1}}I |4.70 | 12 | 2 | 1:49.37 | {{ntsh |
| 1.0}} (1 length)
| {{sortname|Luis|Saez}} |
| {{dts|2023|May|6|format=mdy}}
| {{ntsh|10.0}} {{frac|1|1|4}} miles | {{ntsh|1}}I |15.21 | 18 | 1 | 2:01.57 | {{ntsh|1.0}} 1 length | {{sortname|Javier|Castellano}} |
| {{dts|2023|May|20}}
| {{ntsh|9.5}} {{frac|1|3|16}} miles | {{ntsh|1}}I | Pimlico | 1.40* | 7 | 3 | 1:55.12 | {{ntsh |
| 2.25}}{{nowrap|({{frac|2|1|4}} lengths)}}
| {{sortname|Javier|Castellano}} |
| {{dts|2023|Jul|22}}
| {{ntsh|9.0}} {{frac|1|1|8}} miles | {{ntsh|1}}I | 4.30 | 8 | 2 | 1:49.52 | {{ntsh |
| 1.75}}{{nowrap|({{frac|1|3|4}} lengths)}}
| {{sortname|Javier|Castellano}} |
| {{dts|2023|Aug|26|format=mdy}}
| {{ntsh|10.0}} {{frac|1|1|4}} miles | {{ntsh|1}}I | Saratoga |4.70 | 7 | 7 | 2:02.23 | {{ntsh |
| 15.0}} (15 lengths)
| {{sortname|Flavien|Prat}} |
{{refbegin}}
Notes:
An (*) asterisk after the odds means Mage was the post-time favourite.
{{refend}}
Stud career
Mage was retired at Airdrie Stud for his first breeding season in 2024, having bred 171 mares. In 2025 seasonal breeding, he will continue to serve thereat for a fee of $25,000.
The first foal by Mage, a bay colt out of multiple stakes-placed winner, a City of Light mare Lil Miss Moonlight, was born on January 9 at Machmer Hall in Paris, Kentucky.{{cite news |last1= |first1= |title=Colt First Reported Foal for Kentucky Derby Winner Mage|url=https://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/282060/colt-first-reported-foal-for-kentucky-derby-winner-mage |accessdate=January 12, 2025 |work= The Blood-Horse|date=January 10, 2025}}
Pedigree
{{Pedigree
|name= Mage (USA), chestnut colt, April 18, 2020
|f = Good Magic
(2015)
|m = Puca
(2012)
|ff = Curlin
(2004)
|fm = Glinda the Good
(2009)
|mf = Big Brown
(2005)
|mm = Boat's Ghost
(2004)
|fff = Smart Strike (CAN)
(1992)
|ffm = Sheriff's Deputy
(1994)
|fmf = Hard Spun
(2004)
|fmm = Magical Flash
(1990)
|mff = Boundary
(1990)
|mfm = Mien
(1999)
|mmf = Silver Ghost
(1982)
|mmm = Rocktheboat
(1996)
|ffff = Mr Prospector* (1970)
|fffm = Classy 'n Smart (CAN) (1981)
|ffmf = Deputy Minister (CAN) (1979)
|ffmm = Barbarika (1985)
|fmff = Danzig* (1977)
|fmfm = Turkish Tryst (1991)
|fmmf = Miswaki*^ (1978)
|fmmm = Gil's Magic (1983)
|mfff = Danzig* (1977)
|mffm = Edge (1978)
|mfmf = Nureyev (1977)
|mfmm = Miasma (1992)
|mmff = Mr Prospector* (1970)
|mmfm = Misty Gallore (1976)
|mmmf = Summer Squall (1987)
}}