McPeek outlines plans for Mystik Dan, Thorpedo Anna

Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan will be pointed to the Grade 1 Travers on Aug. 24 at Saratoga after an eighth-place finish in Saturday’s Belmont Stakes.

Trained by Kenny McPeek, Mystik Dan was the only horse this year to contest all three legs of the Triple Crown after winning the Kentucky Derby on May 4 and finishing a valiant second to Seize the Grey in the  Preakness on May 18. He stalked two lengths off the early pace in the 10-furlong Belmont Stakes but lost ground throughout under regular pilot Brian Hernandez Jr. and finished well behind the victorious Dornoch.

McPeek said Mystik Dan exited the race in good order but will appreciate a good rest after running three times in five weeks.

“He’s doing fine. He scoped with a little bit of mucus, and on a scale of five it was probably a two,” McPeek said. “But he’s had a great spring, and obviously it was a small step backwards, but nothing we can’t fix. It’s all good, he just scoped a little bit dirty. We had scoped him after his last work and he was clean, so it’s a bit of a head-scratcher. He’s run hard and Brian didn’t seem to think he handled the track very well, but they all had to run over it.

“He deserves a break,” McPeek added. “It’s a little disappointing not to run better than that, but it’s not supposed to be easy, right?”

All was not lost on the weekend for McPeek as Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Thorpedo Anna posted another dominant victory when taking Friday’s Acorn (G1) by 5 1/2 lengths over Grade 1 winner Leslie’s Rose. The pace-pressing effort garnered a career-best 99 Beyer Speed Figure and brought Thorpedo Anna’s sophomore record to a perfect 3-for-3.

McPeek said the daughter of Fast Anna was brilliant despite losing her front right shoe in the race.

“She came out of it great. She lost a shoe going into the first turn, and for her to run as well as she did with a shoe missing is pretty impressive,” said McPeek. “The foot was a little tender coming out of the race, but we’ve soaked it and reset the shoe – no problem there.”

McPeek had considered trying the talented bay against males at some point this summer but said the plan for now is to keep her against fillies in the nine-furlong Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) on July 20 at the Spa, with a long-term goal being the 10-furlong Alabama (G1) on Aug. 17.

“She’s going to run in the Coaching Club and the Alabama,” said McPeek. “We may nominate her to the Travers, but I think it’s more likely that Mystik Dan will come back in the Travers. She’ll stay in the filly division at this point, and Mystik Dan will more than likely look at the Travers and the Pennsylvania Derby.”