Jockey Castellano ends Derby drought with Mage on 16th try
Javier Castellano celebrates after riding Mage to win the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby horse race at Churchill Downs Saturday, May 6, 2023, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano finally won the Kentucky Derby aboard Mage.
It took navigating traffic through the final turn before he broke clear and chased down Two Phil’s to win by a length.
The Venezuelan rider entered the Hall of Fame in 2017 after guiding Cloud Computing to a Preakness win but lacked a win in horse racing’s premier event.
Mage paid $32.42 at 15-1 odds and gave Castellano a signature win.