It’s been 15 months since Mystik Dan won the 2024 Kentucky Derby (G1) in a thrilling three-horse photo finish. Since then, the 18-1 longshot Derby winner is 1-for-7.
A victory in the Blame Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs on May 3 ended an 0-for-5 post-Derby run, which included a second in the Preakness Stakes (G1) and eighth in the Belmont Stakes. The 4-year-old trained by Kenny McPeek has won four of 14 career starts – all over a dirt surface – with earnings of $4.4 million.
On Saturday, at Colonial Downs in New Kent, Virginia, Mystik Dan runs on the turf for the first time in the Arlington Million (G1) -- at the Derby distance of 1 ¼ miles.
“This is a horse that has done everything we’ve asked him to do,” McPeek said. “Being a Grade 1 going 1¼ miles, the Arlington Million seems like a perfect spot for our Derby winner.”
Mystik Dan, who will have regular rider Brian Hernandez, Jr. aboard, is the fourth betting choice at 9-2 in a field of eight older horses.
Integration, trained by Shug McGaughey, is the 8-5 favorite coming off a close second to Deterministic in the Manhattan Stakes (G1) at Saratoga on June 8.
Cairo, despite a current 0-for-16 losing streak dating back to 2023, is the 7-2 second choice with Colonial Downs leading rider Ben Curtis aboard for the Ireland-bred trained by Alice Haynes. The 5-year-old finished a respectable third in the Queen Anne Stakes (G1) at Ascot on June 17.
Fort Washington, also trained by McGaughey, is the 4-1 third choice under Junior Alvarado.
On Friday (Aug. 1), Mystik Dan worked 5 furlongs in 1`:02.17 over the Oklahoma turf course at Saratoga.
“I always wanted to try him on the turf, and in his work on Friday, it looked like he loved it,” McPeek said. “The move was so good, and the horse is doing so good, I was like, yeah, let’s run.”
The Arlington Million headlines the Festival of Racing at Colonial Downs, with top undercard races the $500,000 Beverly D. Stakes (G2) for older fillies and mares going 1 3/16 miles on the turf and the $500,000 Secretariat Stakes (G2) for 3-year-olds going 1 mile on the turf.
As McPeek says, Mystik Dan runs hard every time and will likely do so on turf for the first time. Leaving from the rail, where he came through and edged Sierra Leone and Forever Young in the Derby, could be a big help.
With that, it’s hard to imagine Mystik Dan returning to the winner’s circle here, but he’s certainly worth using in an exotic wager.
Last out, Mystik Dan was fourth in the Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) behind Mindframe, Sierra Leone, and First Mission.
Integration, with his closing run for second in the Manhattan, seems to have the running style to win this one, especially with John Velazquez aboard, leaving from the outside post 8.
None of the eight runners comes into the race off a victory.
Grand Sonata, trained by Todd Pletcher, was cross-entered in the Sword Dancer Stakes (G1) at Saratoga on Saturday. If he runs in the Million, he should be considered by horseplayers at 8-1.
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