Mage Gets His First Look at Saratoga

Two days after shipping up to the Spa from Monmouth Park, where he finished second in the Haskell Stakes (G1) on July 22, Mage  got his first tour of the Oklahoma Training Track when he jogged under exercise rider J.J. Delgado.

Gustavo Delgado Jr., assistant trainer and son of trainer Gustavo Delgado, said Mage will likely begin galloping on July 27 on the Oklahoma and start training on the main track at Saratoga Race Course next week.

"He came out of the Haskell very good and had a good trip up here," Delgado Jr. said after Mage had his bath. "Just look at him; he has grown a little bit. He is wider. We liked what we saw."

Delgado Jr. said Mage got plenty out of the Haskell, where he finished 1 3/4 lengths behind Geaux Rocket Ride .

"Everything went according to plan," Delgado Jr. said. "He got 100% out of the race. Of course, we wanted to win, but we never had a doubt that he was going to be competitive."

Mage, a son of Good Magic   owned by OGMA Investments, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing, and CMNWLTH, is being pointed to the $1.25 million Travers Stakes (G1) at Saratoga on Aug. 26.

Delgado Jr. said he and his father had dinner at Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano's house in Saratoga on July 25. One thing that was not discussed was the decision that Castellano will have to make for the Travers.

He is the rider for Mage and also Arcangelo , winner of the Belmont Stakes (G1).

"We never brought it up," Delgado Jr. said. "My dad cooked and we re-watched (the Haskell) over and over again."