Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
Mystik Dan
STRENGTHS: The Kentucky Derby winner posted a 100 Beyer in that exhilarating score, the second time he’s posted a tripledigit figure in his career. None of his rivals in the Preakness has cracked that barrier, with the highest figure amongst the others the 98 Beyer that Muth put up in the Arkansas Derby. This colt has the ability to stay close if need be, but he clearly has a good closing kick. That versatility should enable him to work out a favorable trip, regardless of how the race flow develops.
WEAKNESSES: He was a bit lucky to win the Kentucky Derby, saving all the ground thanks to a tremendous ride from jockey Brian Hernandez Jr., and he was all-out to hold on after slipping through on the rail. The 100 Beyer he posted in that race is obviously appealing, but the fact is he regressed the only other time he posted a triple-digit figure, three back, when he was a remote third behind two of Saturday’s rivals, Muth and Just Steel.
BETTING VALUE: He’s the second choice on the morning line at 5-2, and in order to get value in this race horsesplayers will need to try to beat either this one or Muth, the 8-5 favorite. It seems more likely this colt will regress off that last line than move forward, and while he’d hardly be a surprise, it may be worthwhile trying to beat him at about 5-2 or so, as he doesn’t figure to get as fortuitous a trip as he did in Louisville.
SIRE: Newly minted classic sire Goldencents is continuing to extend the accomplishments for the line of his sire, five-time reigning leading stallion Into Mischief, a classic sire in his own right. Goldencents won the Santa Anita Derby. He later cut back to shorter distances, and twice won the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. A prominent young sire, many of his offspring have excelled at middle two-turn distances, including Louisiana Derby winner By My Standards; millionaire multiple graded stakes winner Mr. Money; and turf Grade 1 winner Going to Vegas.
DAM: This is the first runner out of the winning mare Ma’am, who got all her victories at a mile or longer, on both dirt and turf. She is a half-sister to Revamp, a highweight older horse in Greece who won at up to 1 5/16 miles. This is the family of Grade 1-winning juveniles Laragh and Siphonic. Graded stakes winner No More Time comes from this extended family.
OUTLOOK: With Into Mischief siring multiple top-level horses at the classic distance, and several of his sons siring Grade/Group 1 winners around two turns, the entire line must be considered a threat in major events. That was borne out when Mystik Dan stamped Goldencents as a classic sire in the Kentucky Derby. If the colt can handle the two-week turnaround that trainer Kenny McPeek has discussed at length, he can surely handle the slightly shorter distance of the Preakness.