Being a champion isn’t just about crossing the wire first. Sometimes, it’s about stepping where few dare. And that’s exactly what Mystik Dan seems ready to do next. The 2024 Kentucky Derby winner, yes, the same longshot who edged out Sierra Leone and Forever Young by a nose at Churchill Downs, is gearing up for a return. But this time, it’s not just about dirt, distance, or the Triple Crown trail. He’s heading into unfamiliar territory, and horse racing fans are watching closely.
After a quiet but respectable 2025 campaign, second in the Lake Ouachita Stakes, a win in the Grade III Blame Stakes, Mystik Dan surprised everyone this week. On August 1, he clocked 1:02.17 in his first-ever turf breeze at Saratoga. Just five furlongs. Just a test. But his trainer, Kenny McPeek, was impressed. That turf work wasn’t just for show. As Ed DeRosa shared a post on X, “Trainer @KennyMcPeek has entered 2024 @KentuckyDerby winner Mystik Dan in the Arlington Million @ColonialDowns.” Yes, Mystik Dan is being supplemented for the Grade 1 Arlington Million, one of the premier turf events on the calendar, set for Saturday, August 9, during Colonial Downs’ Festival of Racing in Texas.
This would be his first horse racing career start on turf, and that alone is a major. Kentucky Derby winners almost never switch to grass, let alone in a prestigious Grade 1 like the Arlington Million. But trainer Kenny McPeek is leaning into the risk. Why? Because this move isn’t about following a formula, it’s about rewriting one. Bred and owned by Lance Gasaway, Daniel Hamby, 4G Racing, and Valley View Farm, Mystik Dan has always defied expectations. With Brian Hernandez Jr. as his regular rider, he’s shown flashes of willingness to adapt.
Mystik Dan has been supplemented to make a turf start next Saturday in the Arlington Million at @ColonialDowns. The draw is ongoing. @HR_Nation
— Horse Racing Nation (@HR_Nation) August 2, 2025
His 2025 campaign has been a mix of sharp efforts and learning curves. After finishing 9th in his four-year-old debut at the Pegasus World Cup, he bounced back with a narrow second-place run behind Saudi Crown in the Lake Ouachita Stakes. Then came his breakout moment. A convincing win in the Grade 3 Blame Stakes at Churchill Downs, where he clocked a stakes-record 1:48.45 for 1⅛ miles. But now, as he faces a new surface and a field full of turf-seasoned rivals, the question isn’t just whether he can run; it’s whether he can surprise after seeing his rivals.
Horse racing star Mystik Dan faces turf titans in Arlington million bid
Mystik Dan is now being pointed toward this unexpected new surface. But if he goes, he’ll face an elite horse racing cast of proven turf specialists. Leading the nominations is Nations Pride (IRE). Yes, the defending Arlington Million champion and Godolphin’s top earner with over $3.69 million in career winnings. He’s joined by Integration, last year’s Million runner-up and 2023 Virginia Derby winner, and Runaway Storm, a sharp Grade 3 winner with a front-running turf style. Other major names include Cairo (IRE), a globe-trotting son of Quality Road with Royal Ascot form, and Grand Sonata, who finished second in this year’s United Nations Stakes under Todd Pletcher’s training.
The Arlington Million itself carries a $1 million purse. Plus, the winner is set to receive about $600,000, while the overall Festival of Racing boasts seven stakes and a total prize pool of $2.5 million. That prize money and the prestige make this a tempting but high-risk entry for Mystik Dan. Turf has never been his game. And Derby winners almost never attempt a surface switch this late, especially in a top-level Grade 1. Yet trainer Kenny McPeek is clearly betting on Dan’s ability. Mystik Dan, now four years old, has raced from 2023 to 2025, putting up strong dirt credentials across major circuits.
His career stats include 14 starts, with 4 wins, 3 seconds, and 1 third, totaling over $4.4 million in earnings. While his 2025 season began quietly with a ninth in the Pegasus World Cup. Still, this turf debut, against some of the toughest grass horses in training, marks his most uncertain test yet in horse racing.
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