Mage to Race in 2024; Pegasus World Cup Considered
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Photo: Skip Dickstein
Mage trains this summer at Saratoga Race Course
Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Mage , who missed the Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) due to what his connections said was a fever, is being pointed to a 2024 campaign. One early option is the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Jan. 27 at Gulfstream Park.
Co-owner Ramiro Restrepo said that Mage is among a "big majority" of the stable's horses that remain at The Thoroughbred Center near Lexington before they are sent to their winter base in Florida at Gulfstream Park. Mage broke his maiden there on debut before running fourth in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) and second in the Florida Derby (G1) for trainer Gustavo Delgado Sr.
Following the Kentucky Derby, Mage finished third in the Preakness (G1), second in the Haskell (G1), and seventh in the Travers Stakes (G1), his most recent start, Aug. 26. He breezed four times at The Thoroughbred Center in October and was pre-entered in the Classic but was withdrawn after missing a planned work Oct. 29.
"It's one of those things," Restrepo said. "It sums up horse racing, right? A lot of things happen outside of your control. They're animals, so you have to be their stewards."
Restrepo owns the 3-year-old son of Good Magic with Brian Doxtator and Chase Chamberlin's CMNWLTH, assistant trainer Gustavo Delgado Jr.'s OGMA Investments, and Sam Herzberg's Sterling Racing. Mage has two wins, two seconds, one third and $2,507,450 in earnings in seven starts.