Mage roared from off the pace to win the 149th Kentucky Derby on Saturday, launching US racing’s Triple Crown campaign as two more horse deaths on Saturday cast a pall on proceedings at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Gustavo Delgado and jockey Javier Castellano — both from Venezuela— each claimed a first Kentucky Derby win, Mage surging around the final turn and out-dueling Two Phil’s down the stretch.

Two Phil’s, trained by Larry Rivelli and ridden by Jareth Loveberry, finished second and Angel of Empire, trained by Brad Cox and ridden by Flavien Prat, was third.

Mage, a 16-1 shot who had impressed in running second to Forte in the Florida Derby five weeks ago, was among the beneficiaries when the race was thrown wide open Saturday morning as favorite Forte became the fifth horse scratched from the 1 ¼-mile event.

Now he’s poised to challenge for the Triple Crown, with the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore on May 20 to be followed by the Belmont Stakes in New York in June.

Read full story on www.sportsdesk.com.mt

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