“It Took Me a Little While”: Minutes After His Greatest Achievement, Kentucky Derby Winning Jockey Left Surprised by His Horse

So the day finally came and went by, and it brought with it a roller coaster of emotions at Churchill Downs. The 149th edition of the Kentucky Derby is finally over, and there is a lot to unpack. While one of the biggest shocks of the event, was the forfeiture of the Derby-favorite Forte, another shock awaited them as the race ran its course. While Tapit Trice and Angle of Empire became favorites after Forte, it was the Florida Derby runner-up that took home the big prize. And his jockey Javier Castellano couldn’t be more surprised, as was evident in his voice afterward.

Javier Castellano has had many title victories in his career, including the Preakness Stakes in 2006 and 2007. However, the Kentucky Derby always eluded him. His horse Mage, the eventual winner was also placed down the odds order at 17-1. He, however, ran like a bolt of lightning to win the crown and bring Castellano a world of joy.

Mage blazed to victory at the Kentucky Derby 2023

Although Forte’s removal shocked the equestrian community and took the betting world by storm, their hopes soon strung on to Tapit Trice and Angel of Empire. Mage, the Kentucky-born Chestnut-colored horse, was not on everyone’s mind as the winner. But Javier Castellano’s horse had other plans. A tweet by Sports Spectrum went, “‘First of all, thank you Lord Jesus Christ for giving me the opportunity to win the Derby’. Javier Castellano gives praise where it’s due after winning first Kentucky Derby”.

A reporter asked Castellano how he felt about the massive win. Castellano could barely catch his breath in disbelief. Overjoyed he said, “I never give up. I always try hard… It took me a little while…”. The 45-year-old jockey started riding in 1996 in his teenage years. 27 years later, he won the most prestigious American Triple Crown Event.

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His horse Mage was the debut winner at Gulfstream Park in late January and also finished fourth in the Fountain of Youth (G2). He was also the runner-up at Florida Derby, but he was still miles away from being the prime favorite of the Kentucky Derby. Mage’s odds stood at 17-1 along with Confidence Game. His pole position was 8.

It was a symphony of emotions at the Kentucky Derby 2023

The event was all in all a success. It took some high-powered racing from the 3-year-old thoroughbreds to surpass the drama that preceded the event. With as many as 7 horses dying 10 days before the event, and then the Derby-favorite Forte being ruled out, the Kentucky Derby was never out of attention, for good or bad. And yet, there was still a surprise in store in the form of the winner. In the 2 minutes of the race, every spectator turned immobile, only focused on the racecourse.

Jaws dropped when Mage crossed the finish line. It was a tough competition overall, but a surprise win is always the stuff of attention. It has been 4 years since a Derby favorite had won the race, and with Forte, it seemed like that streak would end. But until next year, a pre-event favorite is yet to win the Kentucky Derby. For now, Javier Castenallo will go home a happy and proud man, having won 2 of the Triple Crown Events.

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