(CNN) Mage won the 149th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, on Saturday.
The 3-year-old chestnut colt, trained by Gustavo Delgado, bested Two Vails, who crossed the finish line to take second place, with Angel of Empire finishing third, in front of over 150,000 spectators.
Mage’s win came after being heavily favoured Forte was scratched He was removed from the race earlier in the day after a veterinarian with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission found the horse had bruises on the right front foot, Churchill Downs said.
Forte was listed as the 3-1 morning favorite to win the first match of the Triple Crown. Forte was the fifth horse to be scratched from the race, so the number of horses in the main event was reduced to 18. This marked the first time since 1936 that five horses had been scratched from the Derby.
“I never give up, I always try hard,” said jockey Javier Castellano. “It took a while to get there, and I finally got it.” This victory was Castellano’s first Kentucky Derby in 16 attempts.
Mage, ridden by Javier Castellano, left, going into the final straight.
Prior to the Kentucky Derby, Mage had only one victory in three career starts. He finished Saturday’s “The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports” with a time of 2:01.57.
Mage will now have a chance to continue chasing the elusive Triple Crown in the Preakness Stakes in Maryland on May 20. The third stop will be at the Belmont Stakes in New York on June 10th.
Seven horses died in the run-up to Saturday’s race
Derby this year is like An unusually high number of horse deaths in the days leading up to the main event, and two others died in the previous races on Saturday. In total, seven horses have died since April 27.
Both Chloe’s Dream and Freezing Point “suffered racing injuries from which they were unable to recover on Saturday, and for humanitarian reasons, both were mercifully killed,” said Darren Rogers, Director of Communications and Media Services at Churchill Downs.
Chloe’s Dream suffered a broken right kneecap during Race 2 at the top of Turn 1, Chuchhill Downs he said in a press release Saturday night. Meanwhile, Freezing Point suffered a two-axle sesamoid fracture midway down the backstretch in Race 8, according to the release.
The company said each accident is “unique” and that the track surfaces are closely monitored by industry experts to maintain their integrity. The statement said that every horse that races on the track undergoes “multiple and comprehensive veterinary tests” to ensure its fitness for racing.
Churchill Downs said it would “actively work” with the Kentucky Racing Commission and the Horse Racing Safety and Security Authority to investigate each incident for “any health or environmental causes and provide what they learned to continue to improve the safety of the sport.”
“We are proud of the enduring legacy of the Kentucky Derby and these fine horses are the centerpiece of its iconic appeal,” said Churchill Downs. “While we believe the events leading up to this year’s derby are anomalies, they are unacceptable and we are steadfast in our commitment to safety and integrity.”
Friday’s Racehorse Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. is suspended Indefinitely by Churchill Downs after the “highly unusual” deaths of two of his horses, Pride’s parents and Artie Chase.
Three other horses – which Joseph did not train – also died in the last days. According to Churchill Downs, Derby competitor Wild on Ice was injured in training on Thursday and Tech Charge Brianna was injured in Tuesday’s race. Both were “euthanized for humanitarian reasons”.
On 29 April, 3-year-old Code Kings died after flipping over and breaking his neck at the temporary Churchill Racecourse before the race, According to the daily racing model.
Animal rights organization PETA A statement was issued After the two deaths on Saturday, saying, “Churchill Downs is a killing field. Freezing Point is the latest casualty. He’s the second horse to die today on the track, making it a horrific death before the Kentucky Derby. They should be playing ‘Taps’ in the Derby instead of ‘Old Betty’.” in Kentucky.”
Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the location of Churchill Downs. It’s in Louisville.
CNN’s Homero DeLaFuente contributed to this report.
“Student. Incurable problem solver. Amateur baconaholic. Introvert. Infuriatingly humble music fanatic.”