Mystik Dan

Mystik Dan, a Goldencents colt trained by Ken McPeek, finished second in his debut sprinting 6 ½ furlongs at Keeneland during the October 2023 meet after leading in mid-stretch. He moved forward impressively in his next start, romping in a 5 ½-furlong sprint race at Churchill Downs on Nov. 12 to score by 7 ¾ lengths. Mystik Dan closed out his juvenile season with a dud effort, however, tiring to finish fifth in a one-turn mile allowance race at Churchill Downs as the favorite.

The colt returned for his 3-year-old campaign on New Year’s Day and tried two turns for the first time in the one-mile Smarty Jones Stakes at Oaklawn Park, a Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve qualifying points race. He pressed the early pace but tired late to finish fifth, but only by 3 ¾ lengths. After three workouts at Oaklawn, Mystik Dan returned in the 1 1/16-mile, Grade 3 Southwest Stakes at the Hot Springs, Ark., track. Sent off at 11.40-1 odds, Mystik Dan stalked in mid-pack through the backstretch before moving to the rail in the far turn. He took over with a furlong remaining and romped to an impressive eight-length victory on a muddy main track, earning 20 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby.

Mystik Dan returned to make his next start in the $1.5 million Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park on March 30. Sent off as the 4-1 third choice in a field of 10, Mystik Dan rallied late to finish a distant third, beaten 6 1/4 lengths by Muth. The third-place finish was enough to earn Mystik Dan another 25 Derby qualifying points, giving him a chance to get into the field for the run for the roses with a total of 46 total points.

Mystik Dan is out of the winning Colonel John mare Ma’am and is from the family of Grade 1 winner Siphonic and Grade 2 winner and sire Summer Front.