Mage ran past Two Phil’s in the stretch to win the 149th Kentucky Derby on Saturday.

Mage went off at 15-1 odds in only the colt’s fourth race. Mage had never won a stakes race before Saturday and did not race as a 2-year-old.

Two Phil’s led the field of 18 into the stretch, but was overtaken by Mage, who had been picking off horses through the previous 2 furlongs, and betting favorite Angel of Empire couldn’t catch the two front-runners before the wire.

Mage finished a length in front of Two Phil’s and ran the 1.25-mile race in 2:01.5.

Mage paid $32.42 to win, $14.58 to place and $9.08 to show.

Two Phil’s paid $10.44 to place and $6.52 to show.

Angel of Empire paid $4.70 to show.

The $2 exacta paid $330.44.

The $1 trifecta paid $982.36.

The $1 superfecta, with fourth-place finisher Disarm joining the top three, paid $15,643.65.

Mage became this year’s candidate to become the 14th Triple Crown winner in the history of U.S. thoroughbred racing. The next race in the Triple Crown is the Preakness Stakes on May 20 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore.

This year’s Kentucky Derby was plagued by scratches. Of the 20 colts in the post-position draw on Monday, five didn’t make it to the gate on Saturday, including morning-line favorite Forte. The Florida Derby winner and 2022 2-Year-Old Horse of the Year was scratched on Saturday morning because of a bruised foot.

Forte finished first in the point standings from the Kentucky Derby prep races. Santa Anita Derby winner Practical Move was the runner-up in the points and didn’t run in the Kentucky Derby either. Practical Move was scratched on Thursday because of an elevated temperature.

Skinner was scratched for the same reason on Friday, and Continuar was pulled on Thursday by his trainer after poor performances in workouts.

Lord Miles couldn’t run on Saturday because Churchill Downs suspended his trainer on Thursday. Saffie Joseph Jr. had two of his horses experience “highly unusual sudden deaths,” according to Churchill Downs, in the past week at the track.

And they weren’t the only deaths. Seven horses have died at the track since last week, including Kentucky Derby qualifier Wild on Ice, which was euthanized before ever getting to the post-position draw.

Two horses were put down on Saturday after suffering injuries – Chloe’s Dream in the third race and Freezing Point in the eighth race.

Mage provided the first Kentucky Derby win for jockey Javier Castellano, who was competing in the Run for the Roses for the 16th time.

Mage didn’t race as 2-year-old, then won almost wire-to-wire with the second-longest odds in the field the first time out at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 28. The colt’s other two races were won by Forte, as Mage ran fourth in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes on March 4 and second by 1 length in the Grade 1 Florida Derby on April 1.

Mage had won $247,200 entering Saturday’s race, which paid $1.86 million to the winner.

The order of finish for the 149th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, was:

1. Mage

2. Two Phil’s

3. Angel of Empire

4. Disarm

5. Hit Show

6. Derma Sotogake

7. Tapit Trice

8. Raise Cain

9. Rocket Can

10. Confidence Game

11. Sun Thunder

12. Mandarin Hero

13. Reincarnate

14. Kingsbarns

15. King Russell

16. Verifying

17. Jace’s Road

18. Cyclone Mischief

Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @AMarkG1.