Mage (outside) and Two Phil’s duel for Derby honors. (Daniella Ricci/Past the Wire)
Since the 2023 Kentucky Derby, what have those contenders been up to?
Rocket Can runs Friday, Jace’s Road on Saturday at Saratoga!
By Maribeth Kalinich
2023 Kentucky Derby champ Mage ran his last race one year ago in the Travers Stakes. The Good Magic colt finished seventh to of seven in a formidable field. His full brother, Dornoch went on to score the 2024 Belmont Stakes.
The Albaugh Family Tweeted (X’d?) that Jace’s Road, who last ran in the 2023 Kentucky Derby finishing 17th, will be making his return to the track on the Travers undercard.
Pondering this made me think … where are they now? Where is the Classic class of 2023? Let’s take a look.
First place Mage entered stud at Airdrie and stands for $25,000, well worth the fee for a very solidly bred colt. (And he is expecting a full little brother as his dam Puca is in foal once again to Good Magic for Resolute Racing).
Before his retirement, Mage finished third in the Grade 1, Preakness Stakes and second in the Grade 1, Haskell for owners CMNWLTH, OGMA Investments, LLC, Sterling Racing LLC and Ramiro Restrepo.
Runner up Two Phil’s followed up his Kentucky Derby second with a score in the Grade 3, Ohio Derby at Thistledown. That was his swan song ending a career where the Hard Spun colt had won 50% of his 10 starts and hit the board thrice more earning $1.6 million for Patricia’s Hope, Phil Sagan and Madaket Stables. Phil entered stud at Winstar for a fee of $12,500 (a bargain IMO).
Albaugh Family Stable’s Angel of Empire finished a very game third in the Derby. The Classic Empire son then ran well in the Belmont Stakes against heavy hitters and scored fifth after holding fourth for the race. His follow up was the Jim Dandy with a watered-down yet talented field of five where he battled heartily for third behind Forte and Saudi Crown.
The Risen Star and Arkansas Derby champ has yet to make a debut at four, but he did have a recent public work at Saratoga where he breezed an untimed work.
His dam, Armony’s Angel, sold at auction in November 2023 for $1.8 million in foal to Gun Runner. Angel of Empire was her first foal and only of note so far.
Fourth place Derby finisher Disarm is a Gun Runner colt. The Steve Asmussen trainee followed up the ray with a victory in the Grade 3, Matt Winn, a fourth in the Jim Dandy, fierce second in the Travers, an allowance win at Churchill Downs followed by sixth in the Grade 1, Stephen Foster and finishing out his 3-year-old campaign with a fourth in the Grade 1, Whitney August 3, 2023.
Disarm has been back in action for Winchell Thoroughbreds with works at Saratoga. The colt had three breezes in July and just yesterday he went a zippy five furlongs in 1:.00.20. Could he be pointing towards the Grade 1, Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga on September 1?
Fifth place finisher in the 2023 derby was Hit Show who followed up with a full campaign.
After a fourth-place finish in the Belmont, the Candy Ride (ARG) colt finished fifth in the Jim Dandy, sixth in the Grade 3, Oklahoma Derby.
Coming back off a near seven months layoff, Hit Show won a refresher allowance at Churchill Downs in May. Another couple of months to adjust and he scored only seventh in the Cornhuskers Handicap in July but bounced back August 4th scoring the Grade 3, West Virginia Governor’s stakes victory.
The first of Japan’s Derby runners, Derma Sotogake, who finished sixth, followed up with a second in the Grade 1, Breeders’ Cup Classic one length off White Abarrio.
The son of Mind Your Biscuits took a few months off and came back at four to place fifth in the Grade 1, Saudi Cup followed by a sixth in the Grade 1, Dubai World Cup. He was one happy horse over in Dubai and he still earned $1.24 million for his efforts at Meydan.
According to the latest Japan Racing Association newsletter, the nation will field a strong team back at Del Mar. Leading the way will be Kentucky Derby third Forever Young and 2023 Derby class Ushba Tesoro and Derma Sotogake, all of whom are targeting the BC Classic.
The much-hyped Todd Pletcher trainee Tapit Trice, seventh in the Derby, scored third in the Belmont Stakes. The Tapit colt then finished fifth in the Grade 1, Haskell before going third in the Travers.
Coming back after 11 months Whisper Hill and Gainesway’s grey colt scored a wicked win in the Grade 3, Monmouth Cup July 20.
Since this victory, Tapit Trice has been in training at Saratoga with three four furlong works already in August averaging 49.50. Is the Gold Cup bound?
The grandson of 1999 Belmont Stakes champ, Lemon Drop kid, ninth in the Derby, Raise Cain did his ancestor one better finishing eighth in the Kentucky Derby.
The Violence colt out of Lemon Belle is still in training for Ben Colebrook scoring a fourth in the R.A. “Cowboy” Jones Stakes at Ellis Park August 11th.
Campaigned by Rania and Andrew Warren, Raise Cain had six more starts as a 3-year-old in the Grade 3, Matt Winn (4th), Grade 3, Indiana Derby (2n), Grade 3, West Virginia Derby 4th) and the Grade 3, Oklahoma Derby (4th) before a win in the Perryville at Keeneland. He closed out his campaign with. Fifth place under Frankie Dettori in the Grade 1, Malibu at Santa Anita, his only start west of the Rockies.
Off until April, Raise Cain started his 4-year-old campaign at Keeneland in the Grade 3, Commonwealth (5th) followed by the Grade 1, Churchill Downs stakes (4th) before getting a refresher in an allowance at Churchill a few weeks later where he missed second by a neck but boosting his Equibase Speed Figures into three digits at 103.
A month later he scored third in the Hanshin Stakes. With a few months off he finished fourth August 11th in the R.A. “Cowboy” Jones.
Rocket Can will rocket back into action in an allowance optional claiming race on Friday, August 23.
Field for R4 Friday at Saratoga
After finishing ninth in the 2023 Kentucky Derby, Rocket Can had a layoff until coming back March 16 winning an allowance at Oaklawn. He followed up with a sixth place in an allowance at Saratoga in July.
Training at Saratoga since June, the grey grandson of Tapit had a zippy four furlongs in 47.88 August 11 with another work the following week.
Campaigned by Frank Fletcher, the Into Mischief colt will break from post 1 under Junior Alvarado for Bill Mott on Friday.
Don’t Tell My Wife Stables and Ocean Reef Racing’s Confidence Game was tenth in the Derby and took time off after that run before a start in October getting sixth in the Perryville followed by another six in an AOC. He closed out his season with a fifth in the Tenacious Stakes at Fair Grounds.
Kicking off his 4-year-old campaign at Fair Grounds January 20th, he was, again, sixth in the Grade 3, Louisiana Stakes. Another four months off and he scored sixth, and then seventh, in a pair of AOCs at Churchill before getting third in the Iowa Spring July 5th.
Another son of Candy Ride (ARG), the colt has been training at Churchill Downs with his last times work being a four-furlong breeze in 49 flat.
The Grade 2, 2023 Rebel champ may have a start soon at Churchill Downs for trainer Keith Desormeaux.
Eleventh place Derby finisher Sun Thunder got a break in action from Kenny McPeek after that and started his 4-year-old campaign with a second in an allowance at Oaklawn January 28.
Another son of Into Mischief, he ran in three more allowances at Oaklawn through late winter getting second, third and second, respectively.
Moving to Churchill Downs in June he ran two allowances there getting third in one and second in the most recent June 27.
Campaigned by T.T. Racing Stables and Cypress Creek Equine, the colt has been trining at Belmont Park (???) with two timed breezes so far in August with his last four furlongs in 46.20.
The other part of the Japanese contingent, Mandarin Hero, was lucky to draw into the Derby at number 22 but finished unlucky number 13 in the Derby. Returned to Japan and with a few months off made three more starts as a 3-year-old getting seconds in the Mumotori Sho at Oi in August, the Totsuka Kinen at Kawasaki in September and the Derby Grand Prix at Morioka in October.
The Shanghai Bobby colt made four starts this year for trainer Terunobu Fujita and owner Arai Hiroaki.
He got second in an allowance in March followed by fourth in the Brilliant Cup in April, both at Oi. In his most recent start, he finished second in the Kekieri Sho at Morioka July 7.
Reincarnate, a grey son of Good Magic, started in the Derby for Tim Yakteen and finished twelfths. Previously trained by Bob Baffert, the colt was transferred by his connections for his Derby eligibility due to Baffert’s ongoing ban.
Back with Baffert, the colt won his follow up in the Los Alamitos Derby July 8, 2023, at Los Alamitos.
September 23, he ran a sixth in the Grade 1 Pennsylvania Derby at Parx and followed up in November with a ninth in the grade 2, Twilight Derby at Santa Anita.
Reincarnate began his 4-year-old campaign at Santa Anita with a third place in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap March 3.
With wicked speed figures, Reincarnate was fourth in the Grade 2, Oaklawn Handicap followed in May with a second in the Grade 2 Hollywood Gold Cup back at Santa Anita.
In his last start July 25 at Del Mar Reincarnate finished second to a runaway Midnight Mammoth but still over seven lengths ahead of his nearest competitor.
Owned by SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Masterson, Robert E., Stonestreet Stables LLC, Schoenfarber, Jay A., Waves Edge Capital LLC and Donovan, Catherine, Reincarnate is working at Del Mar with his latest last Saturday going a speedy five furlongs in 59.60.
Kingsbarns who carried the Spendthrift colors to a fourteenth place Derby finish after vying to the lead until a mile, retired August 14 with a ligament injury and will enter stud at the Farm next year.
The Uncle Mo colt was having a pretty good year for Todd Pletcher with victories in the Grade 1, Stephen Foster and Grade 3, Ben Ali with a second in the Grade 3, Pimlico Special.
Ron Moquett trainee King Russell, who was fifteenth in the Derby, just had a fifth-place finish in an allowance at Ellis Park on Sunday, August 18th. It was his seventh start of the year starting with a second in an allowance at Oaklawn January 13.
The Creative Cause grey drew into the Derby in number 23 for the Estate of Brereton C. Jone and Naber Racing on the tail of qualifying with a second place in the Arkansas Derby.
The son of Triple Crown champ Justify, Verify finished the Derby flatly in number sixteen for Brad Cox. After taking second in the Matt Winn, winning the Indiana Derby and scoring second in the Allen Jerkins, he closed to ut his career Oct 21, 2023, with a fifth in the Perryville.
Campaigned by Westerberg, Mrs. John Magnier, Jonathan Poulin, Derrick Smith and Michael B Tabor, the colt entered stud Pleasant Acres Stallion in Florida.
The Albaugh Family’s Jace’s Road will run on the Travers undercard as aforementioned making his seasonal debut in an AOC at Saratoga.
Field for R4 Saturday at Saratoga
The Quality Road colt will break from post 5 under Florent Geroux for Brad Cox and will be running with Lasix for the first time.
It will be his first start since the Derby seventeenth place finish. The colt qualified for that run via his third-place finish in the Grade 2, Louisiana Derby.
The Albaugh Family’s third 2023 Kentucky Derby starter was son of Into Mischief, Cyclone Mischief who did not fare well as the last to hit the wire.
The colt entered the Derby on the merits of two third place finishes in the Florida Derby and Grade 2, Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream Park.
He raced once more as a 3-year-old getting up for fourth in an AOC at Churchill Downs in late November.
Beginning his 4-year-old campaign at Keeneland April 12th, he scored third followed up with a fifth and fourth place in AOCs at Churchill Downs.
The bay just won his August 3 AOC start at Ellis Park. Previously he had been working at Churchill Downs for the summer.
Now, let’s take a look at their Kentucky Derby run once more.
