Mystik Dan triumphs in Kentucky Derby 150 (Jenny Doyle/Past The Wire)
NYRA Press Office
OZONE PARK, N.Y.— Lance Gasaway, 4 G Racing, Daniel Hamby, III and Valley View Farm’s Grade 1 Kentucky Derby-winner Mystik Dan arrived at Saratoga Race Course Monday evening and ventured out onto the Oklahoma training track early Wednesday for his first bit of light exercise since finishing second in Saturday’s Grade 1 Preakness.
“He’s doing good,” said trainer Kenny McPeek. “He just jogged a mile this morning, nothing complicated.”
Mystik Dan was a narrow winner of the Kentucky Derby on May 4 at Churchill Downs, staving off late bids from Forever Young and Sierra Leone to post a nose victory in a thrilling three-way photo finish. He followed two weeks later with a runner-up effort to the D. Wayne Lukas-trained pacesetter Seize the Grey in the Preakness, where he was defeated 2 1/4 lengths after stalking four lengths off the pace.
“Wayne’s horse got off to an got an easy lead, and maybe we could have chased him, but if we had, we might not have run as well as we did,” said McPeek.
McPeek added he will take his time in deciding if Mystik Dan will participate in the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on June 8 at Saratoga.
“We are undecided on what we’re going to do. We’ll take it as it comes and get him into a routine here,” said McPeek. “Hopefully, the weather cools off.”
McPeek completed a historic double on the first weekend in May as he also saddled Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks-winner Thorpedo Anna. The Fast Anna dark bay was a pressured pacesetter early in the nine-furlong test, but shook clear of her rivals in the far turn and drew off impressively to win by 4 3/4 lengths.
Owned by Brookdale Racing, Mark Edwards, Judy Hicks and Magdalena Racing, Thorpedo Anna has worked twice since the Oaks, and covered a sharp half-mile this morning at Churchill Downs where clockers caught her in 46.20 seconds.
“She breezed wicked fast,” said McPeek. “My assistant said he caught her in 47 and two [fifths]. She’ll come to Saratoga tomorrow and we’ll get her into a routine, too.”
As with Mystik Dan, McPeek has not made any decisions on where Thorpedo Anna will race next. Her two options are the Grade 1, $500,000 DK Horse Acorn against fillies on June 7, or a try against males in the Belmont Stakes.
