Tag: Javier Castellano

Saez To Partner With Mage In Travers

Luis Saez will ride Mage (Good Magic) in the upcoming GI Travers S., it was announced Tuesday afternoon in a tweet from trainer Gustavo Delgado, Sr.

He replaces Javier Castellano, who won the GI Kentucky Derby aboard the colt and also guided him to a third-place finish in the GI Preakness S. and a runner-up effort in the GI Haskell S. Saez rode Mage to a second-place finish in the GI Florida Derby. Saez opted to ride Tapit Trice (Tapit) in the Derby for trainer Todd Pletcher. Tapit Trice finished seventh.

Castellano is also the regular rider of Arcangelo (Arrogate) and won the GI Belmont S. on that colt for trainer Jena Antonucci. Like Mage, Arcangelo is being pointed to the Aug. 26 Travers.

“We have a tremendous amount of love and respect for Javier and we accomplished together what is a lifetime dream for everybody in racing,” said Mage co-owner Ramiro Restrepo. “We are fully cognizant, fully aware of the difficult decision that he was facing when it came to picking between two very talented colts, both winners of American Classic races.

“It is our understanding that there will be a full field in the Travers of 11 or 12 horses. With most of those horses, they have riders spoken for them. We know Javier was having a difficult time choosing between both horses. There's not many jockeys available as the field is starting to take shape. We didn't want to be put in a position where we were left without a top rider if Javier chose otherwise. It was in our best interest to secure a rider who knows the horse and rode him to a great second-place finish in the Florida Derby.”

Restrepo said the decision was made by the Mage camp and not by Castellano.

“We spoke with Javier a few days ago and chatted about the situation,” Restrepo said. “We asked them how they were going to proceed. Several days went by since then and Javier wasn't able to give us a decision. He said he was still mulling things over. At that point, we needed to be proactive and go ahead and make a decision.”

Earlier this week, Castellano sat down with Mike Kane to discuss the decision-making process.

 

 

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Tough Call For Castellano: Who to Ride in Travers?

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – To Mage (Good Magic) or to Arcangelo (Arrogate)? That is the question Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano faces as he decides which colt he will ride in the GI Travers S. on Aug. 26.

For Castellano, who has a record six wins in the oldest and most famous stake at Saratoga Race Course, it is a beautiful yet difficult problem. An embarrassment of riches. He must choose between Mage, who carried him to his first victory in the GI Kentucky Derby, or Arcangelo, his first GI Belmont S. winner. The trainers of both horses–Gustavo Delgado handles Mage and Jena Antonucci, who has developed Arcangelo–want his services in the Travers.

With two weeks and a few days to go, Castellano, 45, has yet to announce whether he will be on the gray, Arcangelo, or the chestnut, Mage.

“They're both really good horses,” Castellano said. “You can't compare them. They are both well bred. One, he wins the Derby. One, he wins the Belmont. They both fit perfectly in the distance and they have proved it. It's tough.”

Both colts are connected to the Travers through their pedigrees. Arcangelo's sire, Arrogate (Unbridled's Song), won the 2016 Travers at 11-1 in a track record time of 1:59.36. Mage is from the first crop of Good Magic (Curlin), who finished ninth as the favorite in the 2018 Travers, his final career start.

Castellano's connection with Delgado goes back decades to their home country, Venezuela, where his father rode for the distinguished trainer, who is now based in Florida. He has ridden Mage four times: fourth in the GII Fountain of Youth S., the Derby victory, third in the GI Preakness, and, most recently, second in the GI Haskell on July 22. On Arcangelo for Antonucci, he is perfect: a Mar. 18 maiden special weight at Gulfstream, the GII Peter Pan S. and the Belmont, both at Belmont Park.

“I keep praying and I hope I make the right decision because somebody is going to get upset,” he said.

Through the decades, the outcome of the Travers, first run in 1864, has often helped determine the 3-year-old male division championship. That very well could happen again this year with the three Triple Crown race winners, Mage, Preakness victor National Treasure (Quality Road) and Arcangelo on course for the race.

Will Castellano be aboard Arcangelo or Mage?

“I really don't know,” he said after working Arcangelo Sunday morning.

Castellano said he was impressed with the way Arcangelo breezed five furlongs in 1:00.21 and followed with a lusty gallop out. He said the colt owned by Blue Rose Farm is now more focused about his works and does things very easily.

While that was an endorsement, Castellano said it does not mean he has committed to the colt for the Travers.

“We'll see. We'll see how he comes out of this work,” Castellano said. “I have to meet with Gustavo to see what is his plan.”

In his first timed work after the Haskell, Mage breezed five furlongs in 1:01.03 on Saturday under his regular exercise rider, J.J. Delgado. He is likely to work again Friday.

Castellano said that Mage “put in a great effort in the Haskell. He ran such a great race. Unfortunately, he finished second, but he made a great effort. He missed a couple of works going into that race. I think he's a good horse.”

In 27 seasons of riding in North America, Castellano has 5,687 wins from 31,531 starts. He is second behind John Velazquez in career earnings with $388,185,850. Despite all his experience and success, Castellano said this who-shall-I-ride quandry is new territory for him.

“We're talking about two Triple Crown horses. It's never happened before in my life,” he said. “Of course, I've had a lot of tough decisions with 3-year-old campaigns in the past. I've been in that position before, but not like this. This is really, really special. This is something you have to be very careful with. Everything works out for some reason. I'll keep praying, hope I make the right decision and go from there.”

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Arcangelo Gets Serious In Travers Work

Blue Rose Farm's GI Belmont S. hero Arcangelo (Arrogate) tuned up for the Aug. 26 GI Travers S. with a five-furlong breeze over the Saratoga main track that was timed in 1:00.21 Sunday morning.

The gray colt was accompanied to the track by trainer Jena Antonucci on horseback and was put through his paces by Javier Castellano. Arcangelo galloped out a full half-mile after completing his move and was clocked in 1:26 1/5 for seven furlongs, 1:39 for the mile and out nine panels in 1:53.

“It was a little more serious work,” said Castellano, who faces a decision whether to stick with Arcangelo or return to Mage (Good Magic), aboard whom he won his first GI Kentucky Derby. “I usually hold him together. Today, I let him stretch out a little bit. I like the way he did it today–good fractions and a good move. The best thing for him is galloping out–he reaches out longer.

The reinsman continued, “In the turn, I asked a little bit and he took off. I just dropped my hands and let him roll. The boss wanted me to put on a good show today. I had been holding and keeping him fresh, but we are in a stage to make it serious because we are facing the best 3-year-olds in the country. You have to put a good foundation in and I think he does.”

According to Antonucci, Arcangelo wanted to do more after nearly linking up with another breezer on his gallop out.

“He swapped leads and went to go again,” said Antonucci, with a laugh. “That's a good quality for a horse to have. We finally got him pulled up over the three-eighths pole. He was kind of pleased with himself.

“He's happy and he loves it and he's enjoying it,” Antonucci added. “What better gift could I have?”

 

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Mage ‘Looked Pretty Good’ on First Day Over Saratoga’s Oklahoma Track

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Four days after his second-place finish in the GI Haskell S., GI Kentucky Derby winner Mage (Good Magic) took some small, easy steps toward the GI Travers on Aug. 26, jogging Wednesday on the Oklahoma training track.

Mage shipped from Monmouth Park in New Jersey to Saratoga on Monday and was given another day off on Tuesday. He made his first visit to the track on a cool, foggy morning under his regular exercise rider J.J. Delgado. Assistant trainer Gustavo Delgado held the colt while he was bathed, while his father, trainer Gustavo Delgado, watched.

Delagado, Jr. said that Mage has come out of his first race since the GI Preakness on May 20 in good shape.

“We like what we see, especially the eating, the travel and then here,” Delgado, Jr. said. “This morning he looked pretty good.”

Mage wanted to move around during the bath and Delgado, Jr. said he was tough to control at times.

“Tomorrow, I think he will start galloping, the way he looked today, because he needs it,” Delgado, Jr. said. “He will start off galloping here and then probably next week we'll start taking him to the main track.”

Mage's connections set the Travers as the summer goal after he finished third in the Preakness. They gave him 17 days off and embarked on a training program to prepare him for the summer starts. Delgado, Jr. said that even in defeat the Haskell was a success.

“Everything was according to plan,” he said. “Of course, we wanted to win. And we never had a doubt that he was going to be competitive enough. The thing is that previous to the race we missed at least one breeze that was on the schedule. It was raining a lot at the training center so we couldn't get one work in. But his last one, he was ready. 'Let's take him to the Haskell because he might pull it off.'”

Yet to be decided is whether Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano will ride Mage in the Travers. Castellano rode Arcangelo (Arrogate) in the GI Belmont S. and that colt is headed to the Travers, too. Delgado said he and his father had dinner at Castellano's house Tuesday night, watched the Haskell several times, but did not discuss the Travers.

Delgado, Jr. said they hope that Castellano will be aboard for the marquee race of the Saratoga season, which could decide the 3-year-old male title.

“We wouldn't want to try with somebody else, that's for sure,” Delgado, Jr. said. “But at the same time he's an easy horse to ride. He's not that difficult.”

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