Mage 's racing career came to an end last year, about six months after his unforgettable victory in the 2023 Kentucky Derby (G1).
Now a stallion at Airdrie Stud, his first group of sons and daughters are a few years away from running.
But in the meantime, Mage is already having a powerful impact on the lives of Ramiro Restrepo, the bloodstock agent who fell in love with him and bought him, and the father-son combo of Gustavo Delgado and Gustavo Delgado Jr. who trained him.
"Mage changed everything for us and more," said Delgado Jr., the assistant trainer to his father. "He opened a big window for us."
Thanks to that window, the trio is now at Del Mar with a top contender for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) Nov. 1 in grade 1-placed Ferocious, a $1.3 million 2-year-old buy who would have been out of their price range—until Mage came into their life.
"Mage has been a life changer. Mage opened a door for us," Restrepo said. "He gave Gustavo and myself the opportunity to buy and train better horses. He's brought us so many blessings."
While Delgado has been training horses in North America on a regular basis for about a decade after a highly successful career in Venezuela, it was Mage who brought him the kind of everlasting fame he and Restrepo had never enjoyed before when the $2.5 million earner captured the Run for the Roses for owners CMNWLTH, Delgado Jr.'s OGMA Investments, Restrepo, and Sterling Racing.
The spotlight on Mage brought them unprecedented attention and magnified their past success, giving them both more clients as they headed into a new year of racing and shopping for talent at the sales.
"Now we can get horses that used to be on my wish list," Restrepo said. "Mage gave me the ability to have access to what I love in a horse."
That access led them to Ferocious, a son of Flatter out of the Midnight Lute mare Napier, who Restrepo coveted at the Ocala Breeders' Sales March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.
"He fit the criteria that Gustavo loved, Junior loved, I loved. He had the amazing pedigree. You don't find four generations of Juddmonte in any old horse," Restrepo said. "There's a big family nurtured there. His work at the sale was spectacular and he had an amazing physical. He was the proverbial No. 1 draft pick. It was like seeing (NFL Hall of Famer) Peyton Manning in the draft. You just hope it's not Ryan Leaf."
Consigned by Sequel Bloodstock, the colt bred by Gentry Stable caught the eyes of many more agents than Restrepo. It wound up costing $1.3 million to buy him, and the group had budgeted only $1 million for the purchase. But thanks to the fanfare of Mage, they were able to assemble an ownership group of JR Ranch, Restrepo's Marquee Bloodstock, High Step Racing, and OGMA Investments.
"I wouldn't be here without Mage and the partners and clients who showed faith beforehand and those who have become involved now, like CMNWLTH, JR Ranch, and High Step Racing," Restrepo said.
So far, the $1.3 million gamble is edging in a positive direction as Ferocious won his Aug. 3 debut at Saratoga Race Course by nearly eight lengths and then finished second in the Hopeful Stakes (G1) and the Breeders' Futurity (G1) to bring his earnings to $227,500.
Though those grade 1 losses to Juvenile favorites East Avenue (5-2) and Chancer McPatrick (3-1) have relegated Ferocious to 6-1 odds Friday, he encountered trouble in both of them.
He lost a shoe in the Hopeful when he battled with Chancer McPatrick in the final furlong and lost by a half-length.
He then acted up before the Breeders' Futurity where he broke from the rail, was bumped at the start and then rallied for second, 5 1/4 lengths behind gate-to-wire winner East Avenue.
"We hate excuses. The last two races are part of racing," Delgado Jr. said. "He's been perfect since we got to Del Mar. He's just learning. We're getting (jockey Javier Castellano who rode Ferocious in his debut) back. Good things will happen with more at-bats."
While Mage only raced at 3, Restrepo believes Ferocious can have a longer career with some top-level success of his own mixed in.
"He looks like a big two-turn horse who will get better with age and be an amazing 3- and 4-year-old horse. So for him to show the brilliance he has now, it's amazing," Restrepo said. "The long-term goal is the Kentucky Derby. Gustavo hasn't squeezed him in the morning. Just developmental stuff. Let him bring us to each race. I think the best is yet to come for Ferocious."
And it's all because of Mage.
