Mage, beaten a length by Kentucky Derby (G1) favorite Forte in the April 1 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) Presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa, returned to the Gulfstream Park work tab Sunday morning, breezing an easy five furlongs in 1:01.09, as reported by Daily Racing Form's Mike Welsch.
The lightly raced son of Good Magic, trained by Gustavo Delgado and owned by OGMA Investments LLC, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing LLC, and CMNWLTH, galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.27 and seven furlongs in 1:28.40 while running in the middle of the track.
“What we usually do after a big race like we had, we try to go nice and easy. That seems to be what he did today,” said Gustavo Delgado Jr., assistant to his father.
Making only his third career start in the Florida Derby, Mage made a sweeping move from 12th to take the lead at the top of the stretch, appearing as though he may have gotten a good enough jump to hold off Forte, but trainer Todd Pletcher's champion colt strode out through the stretch to pull out the victory.
Mage turned in an eye-catching debut at Gulfstream Jan. 28 while romping to a 3¾-length victory in a seven-furlong maiden special weight race. He subsequently showed a lot of grit while finishing fourth behind Forte in the Fountain of Youth (G2), in which he experienced gate trouble, bumping, and a wide trip.
Mage went about his Sunday morning workout with a lot of energy.
“You might have thought he was going slower, but 1:01 is still cruising,” Gustavo Delgado Jr. said. “He's full of himself. He continues to give you another kind of personality, maybe because he's maturing and everything seems to be in a momentum.”
Mage, who collected 40 points for his runner-up Florida Derby finish and 10 points for his game effort in the Fountain of Youth, sits 16th on the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard, assuring the Kentucky-bred colt a stall in the starting gate for the first leg of the 2023 Triple Crown at Churchill Downs May 6.
The $290,000 purchase from the Sequel Bloodstock consignment at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds-in-Training Sale could remain at Gulfstream for another breeze before shipping to Kentucky.
“If the weather stays like this here, he may have another work here,” said the younger Delgado on a sunny Sunday morning. “It will all depend on how he behaves. We already know what we have.”
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