RACING CAREER

Mystik Dan began as a maiden at Keeneland in October, where he controlled a six-furlong sprint only to be passed in the stretch. That effort showed his connections plenty of promise, as he ran away with his second race going five and a half at Churchill three weeks later by seven and three quarter lengths. 

This dominant win would be a sign of things to come, but his running style had to be adjusted after he struggled to stretch out to a mile in his next start, fading into fifth. On New Year’s Day, his trainer Kenny McPeek had enough confidence to start him on the Derby trail in the Smarty Jones at Oaklawn despite his poor effort at eight furlongs, but he once again faded into fifth against steeper competition.

This didn’t deter McPeek, who kept him at Oaklawn, this time in the mile and one sixteenth Southwest Stakes in early February. Finally, Mystik Dan was settled a bit more off the pace than he was accustomed, preserving energy and putting forth his most impressive win in an eight length romp over a muddy track. While he wasn’t able to repeat that performance in the Arkansas Derby where he fell victim to Muth and finished third, his Southwest win gave him one of the best speed figures in the Kentucky Derby field and set him up for his signature performance to date. 

At odds of 18/1 Mystik Dan was not the most highly regarded of that twenty horse field, but a perfect rail-hugging trip by jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. and a track that had been slightly softened by rain the day before led to his stunning victory by a nose in the Run for the Roses. Now he enters into the second jewel of the Triple Crown off of little rest, and may face an even tougher task as that favorable trip is unlikely to repeat itself against some new shooters.

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BLOODLINES

Mystik Dan is already the most successful son of Goldencents, which is no surprise given the increased purse of this year’s Kentucky Derby. Goldencents was a two-time Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile winner by Into Mischief who also ran in the Kentucky Derby as a Santa Anita Derby winner, but finished seventeenth. 

Even with two Dirt Mile wins in 2013 and 2014, Goldencents “only” amassed slightly over $3 million, which has been passed by Mystik Dan. Mystik Dan’s broodmare sire Colonel John was a Santa Anita Derby winner and Travers Stakes winner who finished fifth in the Kentucky Derby, netting him nearly $2 million in career earnings. His dam, Ma’am, won four times in her career.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING

This past week, trainer Kenneth McPeek told Pimlico publicity that Mystik Dan was “Ready for the Arkansas Derby… But he did get turned sideways in that turn, and Brian felt that cost him three or four lengths. But the horse fought back, fortunately.”

With the scratch of Muth in the Preakness, favoritism falls to Mystik Dan, and his exercise rider of late, Robby Albarado, has offered rave reviews of his training, stating that he “felt great” and “He’s starting to get back in that race mode now. Today, I let him stretch his legs a little bit down the lane. He was comfortable doing it, wanted to do it… He’s so aware of where the stretch is. You don’t have to move on him. He does it on his own. That’s the sign of good horses, they know their surroundings, where they’re at. That’s the advantage of going to Pimlico early. Like with Swiss Skydiver. All week she got better and better. By the time Saturday came around, she was comfortable. She knew right where she was.” 

Brian Hernandez talks to Albarado following each Mystik Dan work, telling Pimlico News that Albarado has been a huge asset for him which is unsurprising considering his Preakness victory on the aforementioned McPeek trainee Swiss Skydiver four years ago.