INTO 'UPSET CITY' CAME MYSTIK DAN, WHO GAVE TURF A TRY ... WILL STAY ON DIRT HEREAFTER

 If it wasn’t “The Biggest Day of Horse Racing in Virginia History” … and who are we to second-guess who got paid the big bucks to come up with that? … Saturday’s Thoroughbred competition clearly turned Colonial Downs into Upset City.

Of the 12 races, including seven stakes … among 

them the featured Arlington Million that attracted 

Mystik Dan, first Kentucky Derby winner to 

compete at the New Kent County track … only one 

saw the favorite come home first … when Curly 

Larry and Mo led all the way to claim the opener, a 

$50,000 claiming race … long before a crowd of 

about 7,000 had settled down for the more serious 

stuff yet to come.

In fact, you could make a case for a perfect 0-for-12 ;

… because morning line choice (3/1) was Neon 

Nights … which was seen as no better than fourth by 

the bettors and finished second.

THERE ARE some people out there who will tell 

you Mystik Dan, which finished fourth in a photo 

over No. 3 choice Cairo, was a major disappointment 

in his first race on turf … and should be retired 

before doing any more damage to his stud fee.

Trainer KENNY McPEEK disagrees … well, sort of 

anyway.

“I thought it was a respectable race ... being that he 

had never run on the grass, we really didn’t know 

how he would fit in that company. Obviously I 

thought it would be better than fourth,” McPeek said 

yesterday.

“He was in form at the eighth pole and kind of 

flattened out. I might take the bullet on that. I would 

have liked to worked him one more time in hindsight 

… but there’s no do-overs, you know.”

Mystik Dan, who was foaled on McPeek’s farm in 

Kentucky, was 9/2 on the morning line, fourth in a 

field that turned out to be seven when 12/1 Vesting 

was a late trainer’s scratch … Drawing the No. l 

starting slot, which wasn’t ideal for him, Mystik Dan 

never ran less than fourth … but could only watch

 JUNIOR ALVARADO guide Fort Washington 

from last to first over final quarter … despite twice 

getting bumped by Cairo en route.

So, what is next for Mystik Dan, assuming there is 

another race or two in his future? McPeek said there 

is. If anyone, he should know.

“His next start very likely will be September 25^th [at 

Churchill Downs] on dirt,” McPeek said, 

acknowledging it probably will be one and done for 

the four year old bay colt on turf. The Great 

Experiment is over.

“The window to trying on the grass was narrow. He 

had to do it now … or not at all,” McPeek said. 

“There’s nothing black and white in this game. It’s 

very, very gray … and I’ve always been one to try 

things out of the box. Sometimes it works, 

sometimes it doesn’t.

“I don’t think the way he ran was a disgrace. At the 

same time, it wasn’t exactly what we wanted. But he 

got out of it healthy, so we’ll go back to the home 

base and re-group.”

You get the idea McPeek might be having a tough 

time, in effect, saying good-bye to Mystik Dan by 

putting him out to pasture. This unquestionably has 

been a special horse to McPeek, if for no reason 

other than the way he came into this world on May 

24, 2021.

Most Thoroughbreds are purchased at yearling sales, 

some for more than million dollars. In this case, 

McPeek raised his own.

“We hold a certain number of mares at our farm in 

Lexington [Ky.] … and I encouraged ownership to 

keep his mother … when she came off the race track 

and breed her to a stallion that was faster than she 

was,” he said. “Sure enough, we did.”

Obviously, McPeek has trouble letting go. “I think 

either the Breeder’s Cup Mile or Classic, both on 

dirt, would be ideal for him. But, nothing is set in 

stone,” he said. “We’ll see. We’ll see.”

BRIEFLY TOLD: Saturday’s handle for the Festival 

of Racing was a track record $10.46 million .. 

Purse money likewise was one-day record ($2.8 

million) … Rolando, a 3 year old with veteran

 JOHN VELAZQUEZ aboard, set a record of 

1:33.55 to win the Petramalo Mile … Six year olds 

Hollywood Walk (Andy Guest Stakes) and Witty 

(Van Clief Stakes) scored back-to-back victories, 

setting the stage for Fort Washington, 6, and 

Alvarado … who has had quite a year to date, taking 

the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes with 

Sovereignty and now has won 72 of 456 starts (75 

seconds, 53 thirds) for $11.7 million.

Until next time ...