Mystik Dan becomes first Derby winner in almost 30 years to win 2nd race at Churchill Downs
2024 Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan has become the first horse to win another race at Churchill Downs in almost 30 years.
By Curadhan Powell
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LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (WLKY) — 2024 Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan has become the first horse to win another race at Churchill Downs in almost 30 years.
Mystik Dan returned to Churchill Downs to win the Grade 3 Blame Stakes this weekend.
The last time a Derby winner won another race at Churchill Downs was 1998.
The four-year-old colt, who hadn’t won since his Derby victory, delivered a strong performance under jockey Brian Hernandez.
Mystik Dan cut the corner at the top of the stretch and powered home for his first win in six starts, no photo finish needed this time.
Hernandez was excited to get the Derby champion another win.
“It’s great to get him back to the winner’s circle,” said Hernandez. “You know, he, broke sharp, and he was kind of kind of back to his old self. Like I was telling them there, you know, when he’s doing really well, like he was today, he makes my job funny because he’s able to just sit in that pocket and be able to just kind of read the race as it’s going along. You just kind of, you know that when you call him on it, he’s just going to bust through and makes him give you a nice run.”
Trainer Kenny McPeek praised his horse’s improved speed and discussed his potential racing future.
“I certainly think he’s bigger and stronger than he was as a three year old, which he should be,” said McPeek. “And the speed figures that he’s put down in that last race is the fastest he’s ever run. So, I’m excited. I think we’re going to need to really analyze what we do for the second half here to get him to the Breeders’ Cup. I don’t think that he’s a horse that’s going to be in Saratoga racing in Saratoga this summer because I don’t know that track up there. He didn’t seem to like it in the Belmont, and I’m going to point maybe towards more of a keeping him around Kentucky fall campaign.”
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