Kentucky Derby Horse Profile: Mystik Dan

Feb 05, 2024 John Mucciolo/TwinSpires.com

Lance Gasaway, 4 G Racing, and Daniel Hamby III’s homebred Mystik Dan picked up 20 points on the 2024 Road to the Kentucky Derby following his powerful, eight-length romp in the $800,000 Southwest S. (G3) at Oaklawn Park on Feb. 3. The Kenny McPeek pupil clocked 1 1/16 miles over a muddy oval in 1:43.67 under the guidance of Brian Hernandez Jr.

“I was just trying to figure out what horse I could get behind and get to the fence”, his jockey stated. “I was fortunate enough, my horse left there quick enough, but not overly quick, to where I was able to get behind the leaders and make my way over to the fence. And from there, he just traveled so well the whole way. We were able to save ground on both turns.

“When we got to the second turn, I called on him and he picked it up. I was able to kind of just wait for a spot. When a seam opened up barely on the inside, he shot through there and did the rest for us.”

What a day for @b_hernandezjr and @kennymcpeek at Oaklawn Park! They sweep the prep races!

#10 Mystic Dan skims the rail and dominates in the Southwest S. at 10/1 to grab 20 points towards #KYDerby150! 🌹

🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/nQD3HfkzDQ

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) February 3, 2024

Mystik Dan was unveiled at Keeneland on Oct. 22, where he set the pace to late stretch in a solid runner-up effort. The son of Goldencents moved forward in his second appearance when streaking home an excellent, 7 3/4-length victor going 5 1/2 furlongs at Churchill Downs. He then checked in fifth in an allowance tilt in his first run with winners. Last time out, he turned in another fifth-place finish in the Smarty Jones S., earning his first Derby point. His lifetime line reads 5-2-1-0, $510,110.

The sophomore is the first black-type winner produced from the winning Colonel John mare Ma’am, who counts herself as a half-sister to Greek champion Revamp. This is the same female line as Grade 1 victor Siphonic, Grade 1 heroine Laragh, as well as millionaire and prominent sire Summer Front.

Mystik Dan registered a hefty 101 Brisnet Speed figure for his victory in the Southwest, which marked a lifetime best for the three-year-old. He displayed a lot of ability in his first two appearances, and the bay proved capable of handling the two turns, too. The $1.5 million Arkansas Derby (G1) on March 30 is the potential next target for the exciting prospect.