Preakness favorite Mage bumps head in stall, gets stitches to close cut above eye
Updated: 12:19 PM EDT May 20, 2023
MORE THAN 14,000 THOROUGHBREDS ARE SOLD THROUGH AUCTION EACH YEAR, TRYING TO FIND A SUPERSTAR IN THAT MIX. WELL, WE ARE ESSENTIALLY TRYING TO FIND DIAMONDS IN A ROUGH BECKY THOMAS AND HER ASSISTANT, CARLOS MANRESA OF BLOODSTOCK, A BOUTIQUE HORSE TRADING GROUP, FOUND THEIR DIAMOND IN SEPTEMBER OF 2021. THEY PURCHASED MAGE FROM THE KEENELAND AUCTION FOR $235,000. HE REALLY STUCK OUT AS BEING ONE OF THE MOST ATHLETIC INDIVIDUALS THAT WE HAD SEEN AT KEENELAND. NOW, THE INTENT ALL ALONG, AS AGENTS WAS TO FLIP MAGE INTO HIM. EIGHT MONTHS LATER, MAY 20TH, 22, ROMERO RESTREPO, A SOMETIMES OWNER AND SOMETIMES THOROUGHBRED BROKER, ALONG WITH GUSTAVO DELGADO, JR, AN ASSISTANT TRAINER WITH WHOM HE HAS A GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP. THEY SAW THEIR DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH AT THE TIMONIUM FAIRGROUNDS. JUNIOR AND I WERE WALKING AROUND THE SALES GROUNDS AND YOU KNOW, WE HAD SEEN HIS BREEZE. HE HAD HAD THIS PHENOMENAL WORKOUT AND REALLY LOVED THE WAY THAT HE FINISHED UP AFTER THE WIRE MAGES. BLOODLINES ARE GOOD. THE SON OF GOOD MAGIC WHO FINISHED SECOND TO JUSTIFYING THE 2019 KENTUCKY DERBY, CERTAINLY SHOWED PROMISE, IF NOT SUPERSTAR STATUS, AND THAT IT’S THE KEY WHEN YOU’RE OPERATING WITH LIMITED BUDGETS, LIMITED SALARY CAP, YOU KNOW, UNLIKE SOME OF THE BIGGER PLAYERS, YOU HAVE TO FIND ANGLES AND WHEN YOU GO AFTER, YOU KNOW, SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF BIG NAME, HIGH PRICED HORSES, IT JUST EVEN IF I LOVE THEM, I CAN’T AFFORD THEM, YOU KNOW, SO YOU HAVE TO FIND KIND OF ZIG WHEN PEOPLE ZAG, I GUESS IS A WAY TO PUT IT. EVEN SO, THEY ALMOST LOST OUT ON MAGE. THE $200,000 BUDGET WAS LONG GONE. DELGADO JR ABOUT TO BOARD A PLANE AT BWI, ENCOURAGED RESTREPO TO BID AGAIN. SO I HAD JUNIOR ON THE PHONE AS I WAS BIDDING AND WHEN WE GOT TO OUR THE OUR IDEAL NUMBER TO SPEND FOR OUR DEAL BUDGET, YOU KNOW, HE COULD HEAR THE AUCTIONEER ASKING FOR A BID FROM ME AND HE JUST EXPLODED INTO A NON-DISNEY SCRIPT OF JUST LETTING LETTING ME HAVE IT. YOU BETTER KEEP GOING. $90,000 OVER BUDGET, ALMOST SEEMS LIKE A PITTANCE NOW AS MAGE IF SOLD AGAIN, WOULD FETCH A SOLID SEVEN FIGURES. AND THAT’S BEFORE MAGE TAKES A RUN AT THE SECOND JEWEL OF THE TRIPLE CRO
Preakness favorite Mage bumps head in stall, gets stitches to close cut above eye
Updated: 12:19 PM EDT May 20, 2023
Preakness favorite Mage is good to go for the second race of the Triple Crown after bumping his head in his stall and getting a few stitches to close a cut above his right eye.Video above: Mage returns to Baltimore a champ: His storyCo-owner and blood stock agent Ramiro Restrepo said the Kentucky Derby winner bumped his head Thursday, causing a superficial cut and receiving treatment from state veterinarians. Restrepo confirmed in a text message to The Associated Press on Saturday that Mage resumed training without any interruption.Vets examined and cleared Mage and the six other Preakness horses to run in the $1.65 million race later Saturday. Increased prerace screening is in place in Maryland, including inspection of each horse in a the biggest stakes races by Stronach Group chief veterinary officer Dr. Dionne Benson.First Mission, one of the other top Preakness contenders, was scratched Friday on the advice of veterinarians who expressed concern about his left hind ankle. Five horses were scratched in the leadup to the Derby two weeks ago, including favorite Forte.Mage opened as the 8-5 morning line favorite for the Preakness and was the top choice at 2-1 seven hours before post time. Bob Baffert-trained National Treasure became the second choice in the absence of First Mission.
Preakness favorite Mage is good to go for the second race of the Triple Crown after bumping his head in his stall and getting a few stitches to close a cut above his right eye.
Video above: Mage returns to Baltimore a champ: His story
Co-owner and blood stock agent Ramiro Restrepo said the Kentucky Derby winner bumped his head Thursday, causing a superficial cut and receiving treatment from state veterinarians. Restrepo confirmed in a text message to The Associated Press on Saturday that Mage resumed training without any interruption.
Vets examined and cleared Mage and the six other Preakness horses to run in the $1.65 million race later Saturday. Increased prerace screening is in place in Maryland, including inspection of each horse in a the biggest stakes races by Stronach Group chief veterinary officer Dr. Dionne Benson.
First Mission, one of the other top Preakness contenders, was scratched Friday on the advice of veterinarians who expressed concern about his left hind ankle. Five horses were scratched in the leadup to the Derby two weeks ago, including favorite Forte.
Mage opened as the 8-5 morning line favorite for the Preakness and was the top choice at 2-1 seven hours before post time. Bob Baffert-trained National Treasure became the second choice in the absence of First Mission.
