Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Haskell deemed spot for Mage
After numerous discussions between trainer Gustavo Delgado and the ownership group, the decision was finally made late Tuesday afternoon to run Kentucky Derby winner Mage in Saturday’s $1 million Haskell at Monmouth Park.
Mage was scheduled to leave the Thoroughbred Training Center in Lexington, Ky., for Monmouth Park at 6 a.m. on Wednesday. As reported earlier, Javier Castellano, who guided Mage to victory in the Derby, will be aboard again in the Haskell.
The choice of the Haskell as Mage’s first start since his third-place finish in the Preakness came after the principals weighed numerous options that included bringing him back one week later in the Grade 2 Jim Dandy at Saratoga or simply train him into the Travers on Aug. 25.
“I can’t emphasize enough that our entire thinking evolved around the fact that the Travers is the crown jewel of the summer racing season with our decision today based solely on mapping out the best path to have him at his peak for that race,” said Ramiro Restrepo, co-owner and managing partner of Mage, “which has really been our main focus ever since the Preakness.”
Mage has had only four published works since the Preakness, all at the Thoroughbred Training Center, the first of which was reported at five furlongs in 1:07.20, according to track clockers. His most recent drill came last Friday, six furlongs in 1:13.40.
“In reality, he’s only had three real works, the first one was pretty much just a strong gallop, not a work,” Restrepo said. “We didn’t want to rush to bring him along nor, like many big barns, do we have a sparring partner that can keep up with him in the morning. All his works were solo.”
“And the concern was whether he was ready off just three works. Was his fitness level where it needed to be to compete against some of the better 3-year-olds in the country?” Restrepo explained. “But while less and less trainers use a prep race to get a horse fit for another race these days, Gustavo’s training style is old school, a throwback style, so, with no disrespect to the Haskell, we are basically using this race as a prep for the Travers rather than giving him one more work and bringing him back in the Jim Dandy the following week.”