Mystik Dan won the Grade 3, $275,000 Blame Stakes on Saturday at Churchill Downs, his first victory since the 2024 Kentucky Derby, his first Churchill start since the Derby, and with a trip that mirrored the one that won him a Derby.
Mystik Dan broke on top in the 1 1/8-mile Blame, but jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. let the speed go and even before crossing the finish line for the first time had snugged Mystik Dan hard along the fence. Mystik Dan loves it down there. He cleaved to the fence and came up the rail winning a three-horse Derby photo about 13 months ago and clipped along in fourth behind pacesetting Alexander Helios, Antiquarian, and Hall of Fame down the backstretch and into the far turn on Saturday. Alexander Helios stopped quickly before the 5/16 pole, Hernandez steered around him, and by the quarter pole was back down at the rail. The others outside him fanned across the track coming out of the turn and into the stretch. Mystik Dan nimbly cut the corner, kicked, and by the furlong grounds was gone. He won by 1 1/4 lengths.
“When Mystic Dan’s right, he’s such a fun horse to ride. He makes my job so easy. He sits in that nice pocket and lets you read the race, and when you call on him, he’s going to jump forward for you,” Hernandez said. “He’s such a quick and light-footed horse. I just have to point him in the right direction.”
Mystik Dan showed – finally – he was going in the right direction taking a nose loss to Grade 1 winner Saudi Crown on May 4 at Oaklawn Park, his first competitive showing since he’d finished second in the Preakness Stakes. Even there, Mystik Dan didn’t recapture his Derby spark, and his first two races following a dud in the Belmont Stakes, the Malibu in December at Santa Anita and the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream in January, resulted in defeats by a combined 32 lengths.
“In hindsight I wish I could kind of take back a couple races,” trainer Kenny McPeek said.
McPeek did not despair. He freshened Mystik Dan again, relaunched his 4-year-old season, got that good Arkansas run in the Lake Ouachita earlier this month, and on Saturday drew out Mystic Dan’s first peak performance since the Derby.
Off quick splits on a fast-playing track of 22.93 and 46.82, Mystik Dan was timed in 1:48.45. He paid $8.12 as the third choice.
Antiquarian turned in a good performance for second. After pressing the pace, he took over when Alexander Helios faded and at the quarter pole veered (or was steered) several paths from the rail to push looming Hall of Fame well out in the track. Hall of Fame initially got the better of Antiquarian, but Antiquarian fought on and was going best at the wire while making his second start after a long layoff.
The 2-1 favorite Post Time, last in a compact group at the three-furlong pole, made progress to the quarter pole, found his path blocked by several rivals, was steered down inside for room, and belatedly came inside Hall of Fame – while Antiquarian went outside him – to finish third, a head behind Antiquarian and one length in front of fourth-place Hall of Fame.
Banishing, the 5-2 second choice, was held up near the rear of the field and made a bold bid around the far turn but had flattened out by the three-sixteenths marker for fifth, some 50 lengths in front of overmatched Tennessee Lamb, who had a dozen lengths on Alexander Helios, the latter eased to the wire.
Mystik Dan is by Goldencents out of Ma’am, by Colonel John, and campaigns for Lance Gasaway, 4 G Racing, Daniel Hamby III, and Valley View Farm. Gasaway, Hamby, and 4 G bred the colt.
No Derby winner since California Chrome, who won the big race in 2014, has captured a Grade 1 stakes as an older horse. Mystik Dan will have his chance next month in the Stephen Foster. That race is at Churchill, where good things happen for Mystik Dan and the people behind him.
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