Mage wins Kentucky Derby 149

The $1.86 million purse and rose garland goes to Mage, who went off at 15-1 odds to win the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby.

He previously lost to Derby favorite Forte, who was scratched Saturday morning due to a bruised foot, in the Florida Derby. This time around, Mage crossed the finish line first in his fourth race ever (one victory), winning in 2:01.57. Two Phil’s (9-1) finished second, followed by Angel of Empire (4-1) in third, Disarm (27-1) in fourth and Hit Show (24-1) in fifth.

45-year-old Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano snapped a 0-15 streak in the Derby alongside trainer Gustavo Delgado.

“First of all, I would like to say thank you God, my Lord Jesus Christ, for giving me the opportunity to feel amazing. I feel like I’m on top of the world. It’s a great feeling,” Castellano said after the win. “One thing that’s consistent about me in my career is I never give up. Sometimes you feel embarrassed a little bit after trying so many times and you don’t see the result.

“You get down a little bit. But I always tried to be positive, try to find the right horse to participate in one of the biggest races in the world. It’s amazing when someone believes in you and trusts you.”

A $2 exacta bet paid $330.44 while a $1 trifecta paid $982.36 and a $1 superfecta paid $15,543.60.

#8 Mage takes the 149th @KentuckyDerby!

🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/hUlY5wYX0Y

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) May 6, 2023

It was a crowd of 150,335 inside Churchill Downs.

So much hard work and passion conveyed in a kiss. 🐴❤️#KyDerby pic.twitter.com/mtZT2T0yIq

— Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) May 6, 2023