Kentucky Derby: Mage to work this weekend
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HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Mage, runner-up despite a slow start and wide trip in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, will have the first of his three scheduled pre-Kentucky Derby workouts at Gulfstream Park this weekend, assistant trainer Gustavo Delgado Jr. said Thursday.
Mage, who overcame the eventful trip to take the lead a furlong from the wire before ultimately being overtaken and beaten one length by the odds-on Forte in the Florida Derby, had to miss a morning of training with the track closed here Thursday due to severe weather that overwhelmed the local area the previous day. Delgado said the extra day of rest will not affect Mage’s training regimen moving forward to the Derby on May 6.
“We did shed row him a little under tack this morning and he continues to do really well since the Florida Derby,” Delgado said. “Fortunately, our barn was not severely impacted by the storm. He’ll have an easy breeze either Saturday or Sunday, like we always do the first work back after a race. After that, we’ll decide whether to ship him to Kentucky next week or give him one more work here before leaving.
“A lot of that depends on the weather. If it starts getting too hot, we’ll probably send him out earlier and give him his final two works at Churchill Downs instead.”
Delgado said Mage, who has broken poorly in his last two starts, has not been back to the starting gate since the Florida Derby but that there is some gate work penciled in on his training schedule prior to the Derby.
“I’m not sure if he’ll actually work from the gate or just break and ease up like we do with the babies, but he’ll be back over there at some point, that’s for sure,” Delgado said. “Whether that will be here or at Churchill Downs has yet to be determined.”
Also up in the air is the jockey for Mage in the Derby. Luis Saez, who rode him to his second-place finish in the Florida Derby, also is the regular rider of Blue Grass winner Tapit Trice.
“We haven’t heard from Luis since the Florida Derby, although we’re figuring he’s going to stick with Tapit Trice,” Delgado said. “We’ve submitted a potential list of riders to the owners for consideration, but haven’t made any firm decision yet.”
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