Kentucky Derby Winner Mystik Dan Tries Turf in Arlington Million

NEW KENT, VA – Mystik Dan, hero of the 150th Kentucky Derby, will make his long-awaited turf debut in the $1 million Grade 1 Arlington Million on Aug. 9 at Colonial Downs. Run at 1¼ miles, the Million headlines the track’s Festival of Racing, which boasts $2.5 million in purses across seven stakes, including the Beverly D. (G2) for fillies and mares and the Secretariat (G2) for 3-year-olds.

Trained by Kenny McPeek, Mystik Dan has earned more than $4.4 million while competing against the best of his generation. His 2024 campaign included all three Triple Crown races—highlighted by a Derby win and Preakness runner-up—followed by three tough Grade 1 tries as a 4-year-old. He arrives off a strong season that includes a win in the Blame (G3) and a recent fourth behind Mindframe in the Stephen Foster.

“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.”

McPeek decided to try turf after watching Mystik Dan breeze five furlongs in 1:02.17 on the Oklahoma turf 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.”

Brian Hernandez Jr., aboard for the Derby triumph, retains the mount from the rail at 9-2.

The favorite is 8-5 Integration, last year’s runner-up and a local specialist trained by Shug McGaughey, who also sends out Fort Washington (4-1). International flavor comes from Cairo (7-2), an Irish-bred invader with Group-level success overseas, fresh off a third in the Queen Anne (G1) at Royal Ascot.

Other contenders include Todd Pletcher’s consistent Grand Sonata (8-1), with $2.2 million in earnings, and Runaway Storm (20-1), a gritty graded stakes winner for Ethan West.

Arlington Million Field (rail out): Mystik Dan (9-2); Time Song (30-1); Vesting (12-1); Runaway Storm (20-1); Cairo (7-2); Fort Washington (4-1); Grand Sonata (8-1); Integration (8-5).

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