Team sports require the coordination of the entire team as a unit. Introducing a new member to a team or switching to a doubles partner is always a difficult task. But sometimes, one may reunite with an old teammate and get back to their winning ways. A similar story is being played out between equestrian jockey Luis Sáez and his champion racehorse, Mage.

Mage is a rookie racehorse with a dominating presence amongst all the new racehorses. However, the champion runner was losing his edge and was not proving to be as effective. The change of an equestrian jockey at the last moment heavily bolsters Mage’s chances to win the upcoming Grade 1 showdown.

An unexpected reunion before a grand equestrian event

Luis Sáez is a multiple-graded stakes winning equestrian jockey. He started his career as a jockey back in 2009 and has amassed a net worth of over $196,614,428 in his 14-year career. Sáez and Mage make a great team together and have won the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby together. Mage has an impressive rookie record of two firsts, two seconds, and a third in just six starts. Trainer Gustavo Delgado unveiled the news of the last-minute change via his official X (Twitter) handle. 

While Sáez and Mage make a great team, he is not the official jockey who usually rides Mage. Equestrian Trainer Gustavo Delgado has allotted Javier Castellano as the official jockey of Mage. Mage made his debut appearance along with Castellano, and the duo even won the Maiden Special Race. Later on, however, Mage came fourth in the next race, which made Delgado pair him up with Sáez, resulting in the victory at Kentucky Derby. However, this time, the change in jockeys was not a strategic decision according to Horseracing Nation, made by Delgado.

Choosing a champion over a champion

Javier Castellano is one of the most accomplished equestrian jockeys of his time. Castellano has won 5,687 races in his career and has a staggering net worth of over $388 million. Just before the upcoming Grade 1 Travers Stakes, Castellano was faced with a choice. He could either go with Mage, atop whom he won the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby, or with Arcangelo, who won him the Belmont Stakes. 

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While Castellano is the official jockey of Mage, so far, he has not had much success with the horse. Thus, the equestrian jockey decided to go with the Belmont Stakes champion Arcangelo. While it was a personal call, the move benefited both Mage and Castellano, and Gustavo Delgado now has two shining prospects for the upcoming Grade 1 Travers Stakes.

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