The sun was not yet shining on the old Kentucky home May 8 when Mystik Dan made his first appearance on the Churchill Downs track since etching his name into racing history with a nose victory in the May 4 Kentucky Derby (G1).
The Derby winner emerged from trainer Kenny McPeek’s barn at exactly 6 a.m. ET to begin his walk to the muddy track before stopping in front of the gap to soak in his surroundings.
“Mystik Dan is really calm, very intelligent,” McPeek said. “Unfazed by anything.”
Once on the track, the son of Goldencents started at the five-eighths pole and completed a mile jog around the track. Once the colt had passed by the viewing stand where McPeek could see him, he turned around and put in an easy 1 1/8-mile gallop to stretch his legs.
