Majesto has been brought long way
Four years ago, just before Gustavo Delgado decided he would leave striferidden Venezuela to train horses in the United States, he sat down to watch the Kentucky Derby.
With his son and top assistant, Gustavo Delgado Jr., he watched Orb pass nearly every horse in the field to win the 2013 race, and after ward said, “Someday, we are going to go there.”
That someday is Saturday. The Delgados will saddle Majesto in the 142nd edition of the Kentucky Derby.
Majesto, who stables with the rest of Delgado’s horses at Gulfstream Park West, earned the coveted trip after finishing second in last month’s Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park, 3 1⁄ 4 lengths behind Nyquist, the top sophomore in the land and early favorite to win at Churchill Downs.
Not only will Majesto represent South Florida in Louisville, he will carry the hopes of an entire country. He is owned by Grupo 7C Racing Stables, a group of seven brothers led by Caracas-based construction magnate Alejandro Ceballos, and will be ridden by all-time leading Venezuelan jockey Emisael Jaramillo. Like Delgado, Jaramillo now plies his trade at Gulfstream.
Majesto won’t be the only horse sporting the Grupo 7C silks this weekend. Delgado, who lives in Pembroke Pines, will also saddle Paola Queen in the $1 million Kentucky Oaks today and Grand Tito in the $500,000 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic before the Derby.
Delgado’s presence at this uniquely American race marks an important step in the stateside career of one of the most successful trainers in Venezuelan history. Supported by Grupo 7C, Delgado also was tasked with buying horses to stock the stable’s fledgling U.S. operations.
It was at a 2014 sale at Keeneland when a big Tiznow yearling caught Delgado’s eye and he scooped him up at the modest price of $300,000. According to Delgado Jr., his father decided that because of his size, Majesto would be trained for distance.
“He was a two-turn horse,” he said. “From the stride, to theway he gallops, everything. He can run all day.”
After a 7-furlong maiden outing, Majesto has competed exclusively in longer races. Delgado Jr. said that because of his size and his propensity to strictly rate early in his career, it took him five tries before finally breaking his maiden Feb. 27 at Gulfstream.
After that, Delgado felt he was ready for a big step up in class. But at that time, rumors were out that Nyquist would ship in for the Florida Derby to face Mohaymen, who had dominated the Gulfstream 3year-old preps.
The initial plan was to send Majesto to the Louisiana Derby, but Delgado couldn’t secure a suitable rider there. The plan changed after Javier Castellano, who piloted Majesto to his first win, breezed him and convinced Delgado the horse was capable of racing with the two heavy hitters.
Further, Castellano agreed to take the mount on Majesto in the race. After that, there was no hesitation within the Venezuelan contingent that Majesto would go to Kentucky.
“We are just going tohave fun and enjoy the moment,” Delgado Jr. said. “In December we didn’t think we would be in this spot.”
Majesto drew the 18th post for the “greatest two minutes in sports” and has been assigned early odds of 30-1.