Anyone that saw Saturday night’s Grade 3 Derby Trial Stakes at Churchill Downs came away thoroughly impressed by the late kick of Istan’s talented son Myositis Dan. Spotting the 4-5 favorite Bayern 12 lengths down the backside and running behind an only moderate pace up front, Myositis Dan exploded through the stretch, making up all but a nose of the difficult margin he faced. A jump past the wire, Myositis Dan had gained the lead by half a length as the Churchill Downs cameras focused on him during the gallop-out. While the photo would prove disappointing, it is clear that Myositis Dan — an impressive allowance winner at Keeneland in his previous start — has marked himself a three-year-old to watch as he is currently being pointed to the Grade II $500,000 Woody Stephens Stakes on Belmont Stakes Day.
An Airdrie homebred, Myositis Dan was so named in order to raise awareness for the disease Myositis, a potentially fatal illness involving muscle inflammation.
