Mage took home race number 149 of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville.
The race was not without controversy, as seven horses died the week before the race, two of them on the Derby undercard. One of the horses that died, Wild on Ice, was set to run in the Derby.
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Churchill Downs Incorporated has suspended trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. indefinitely after two of his horses died in recent days at the track.
A general view of the roses in the winner’s circle with the Twin Spiers in the background before the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 7, 2022, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. (Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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On top of that, five thoroughbreds were eliminated from the big race, including morning favorite Forte just hours before the race. It was the first time since 1936 that five horses had been eliminated from the Kentucky Derby.
«This is part of the racing and it’s the cruel part,» Forte co-owner Mike Repole said in an interview with FanDuel TV.
General view before the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 6, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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The next leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes, will be on May 20 in Baltimore.