Mystik Dan lands first win since 2024 Derby in Blame

Working out a trip similar to the one he received in his winning Kentucky Derby (G1) effort last year, Mystik Dan registered his first victory since that classic on Saturday when taking the $270,000 Blame (G3) at Churchill Downs, highlight of the stakes-laden Stephen Foster Preview Day program.

Mystik Dan entered the 1 1/8-mile Blame with something to prove. After running second in the Preakness (G1) following his Derby triumph, the Kentucky-bred son of Goldencents had finished well up the track in the Belmont (G1), Malibu (G1), and Pegasus World Cup (G1).

"In hindsight, I wish I could take a few of those races back after the Triple Crown," trainer Kenny McPeek said.

However, additional time off between the World Cup in late January and the Lake Ouachita S. at Oaklawn Park on May 3 appeared to help. In that 1 1/16-mile heat, Mystik Dan ran his best race since the Derby, missing by only a nose to Grade 1 veteran Saudi Crown.

Mystik Dan sat a pocket trip in fourth through the first six-to-seven furlongs of the Blame, worked his way around tiring pacesetter Alexander Helios approaching the turn for home, and then cut the corner successfully to take the lead. Under Brian Hernandez Jr., Mystik Dan gradually increased his advantage to 1 1/4 lengths at the wire.

Owned by the partnership of Lance Gasaway, 4 G Racing, Daniel Hamby III, and Valley View Farm, Mystik Dan covered the course in 1:48.45 over a fast track and paid $8.12 as the 3-1 third choice in a field of seven.

Antiquarian held second by a head over 2-1 favorite Post Time. Hall of Fame weakened to fourth and was followed by Banishing, Tennessee Lamb, and Alexander Helios.

The Blame was the third career stakes win for Mystik Dan, who preceded his Derby win with a dominating score in the Southwest (G3) in early February 2024. He is now 3-for-4 at Churchill, and McPeek said a return trip for next month's Stephen Foster (G1) would be a logical next stop.

Longshots dominated the two earlier dirt stakes on the card, beginning with Durante's 33-1 shock of the $275,000 Aristides S. for older sprinters.

A six-furlong dash expected to be dominated by odds-on favorite Skelly and close second choice World Record, that pair instead dueled each other into submission after Skelly recovered from a slow start.

The ultimate beneficiary was Durante, the 2023 Bold Ruler (G3) winner who sat in the catbird position behind the speed and took over after those two exhausted themselves. Jose Ortiz rode the six-year-old son of Distorted Humor, who won by a length in a time of 1:09.23.

Owned and trained by David Jacobson, Durante paid $68.44. World Record held second by a neck over the dead-heating pair of Giant Mischief and Happy Is a Choice, with Skelly trailing the field of six.

The Kentucky-bred Durante has now won 10 of 38 starts lifetime.

Royal Spa provided less of a shock in the $271,000 Shawnee S. for fillies and mares, but the five-year-old by Violence still returned a hefty $28.78 after out-finishing recent Doubledogdare (G3) heroine Gin Gin by 1 1/4-lengths in the 1 1/16-mile prep for next month's Fleur de Lis (G2).

Ridden by Flavien Prat, Royal Spa notched her second consecutive stakes victory in a time of 1:42.20. She is a homebred campaigned by Breffni Farm and is trained by Rudy Brisset.

A winner in two of her five previous trips to Churchill, Royal Spa notably finished a distant second to Two Sharp in the Chilukki (G3) last November. Two Sharp recently returned to action on Memorial Day, landing the Winning Colors (G3) over the Louisville strip.

Royal Spa placed in two of her three starts following the Chilukki, and entered the Shawnee of a wire-to-wire, neck score in the one-mile Heavenly Cause S. at Laurel on April 12.