The Mage horse, a new winner of the Kentucky Derby and third in National Treasure in the Preakness Stakes last Saturday at Pimlico, will sit out next month’s Belmont Stakes in New York and will be rested after the effort put into his last performances.
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Apparently the prized three-year-old steed arrived a bit exhausted after the race and his owners decided to give him a few days’ rest and send him to The Thoroughbred Center in Lexington, Kentucky in the next few days.
For his part, Gustavo Delgado Jr, assistant coach Gustavo Delgado Socorro, told the media that “Definitely not. The Belmont is not under consideration.”
The Belmont Stakes, known as the Champions Test, is scheduled for Saturday June 10 at the Belmont Park arena at a distance of 2,400 metres, a fairly demanding course for three-year-olds.
Mage is a son of Good Magic in Puca, by Big Brown, winner of two races in five starts and his next start could be in the Travers Stakes at Saratoga
Spanish satisfied
For his part, champion Javier José Castellano, who was very pleased with his drive in the second leg of the American Triple Crown, declared: “There wasn’t much speed in the race. The way it developed was a disadvantage to the horses coming up from behind. I liked my career, I had a beautiful career. I liked where it was.
I didn’t want to be too far back because I knew there wouldn’t be much speed in the race. Unfortunately, they were slow and I couldn’t catch up with those horses. We got out of the apparatus very well; it was the best outing he’s had in a long, long time. He got into a good position and followed each step. I don’t think there was any excuse.
We had a dream tour. We stalked behind those two horses, we saved all the ground into the first corner, and when I asked from the final turn, I couldn’t catch those horses. And my horse responded very well. Those other two horses broke open and the race was over. I certainly expected to win today. I was not disappointed in my horse. Mage is a really good horse,” said the four-time Eclipse Award winner.
