Mage Crosses First at a Wild 149th Kentucky Derby

A virtual unknown, Mage crossed the finish line first in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. The 15-1 shot Mage had only one victory in three previous races before covering 1 1/4 miles in 2:01.57 under jockey Javier Castellano, reports the AP. He and trainer Gustavo Delgado are from Venezuela. Two Phil's and the 4-1 favorite Angel of Empire, respectively, followed Mage to the finish line in front of a crowd of 150,335 on a warm and partly cloudy day at Churchill Downs. Forte, the early favorite, was scratched in the morning with a bruised foot, one of five horses that dropped out in the days leading to the race. A somber note, however: Two more horses died in the hours before the race, bringing the total to seven at Churchill Downs. (More Kentucky Derby stories.)