Mystik Dan, winner of the 2024 Kentucky Derby, will try the turf for the first time in the Aug. 9 Arlington Million (G1) at Colonial Downs.

The Kenny McPeek trainee will leave from the rail with regular pilot Brian Hernandez, Jr. in the irons. The Million has attracted an eight-horse field that includes a shipper from Ireland in Cairo, recently third in the Group 1 Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot.

“We’ll see how he handles the turf,” said Sharilyn Gasaway, who, with husband Lance is part owner of Mystik Dan, a Goldencents colt. “He trained on it this week, and we’re super-excited to see what he thinks about it.”

The Gasaways are also part-owners of Just Philtored, winner of Saturday’s $100,000 Keswick Stakes for Virginia-restricted two-year-old fillies. They purchased the Great Notion filly following her smashing debut win at Laurel.

“It’s my first time to come to Colonial Downs,” Gasaway said. “We’re excited to be here, and we’re liking Colonial Downs.”

Mystik Dan has won four of 14 career starts and notched almost $4.5 million in career earnings. The Kentucky Derby is his lone Grade 1 victory to date, though he also owns wins in the Grade 3 Southwest at Oaklawn Park and, two back, in the Grade 3 Blame at Churchill Downs.

Most recently he finished fourth, beaten 2 ½ lengths by Mindframe, in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster.

Since the Derby, he’s made seven starts, winning one and finishing second in two others. But of course, he has a Derby win in his back pocket, and his last three starts have all been good. That includes a runner-up effort in the Lake Ouachita Stakes at Oaklawn Park behind the Grade 1-winning Saudi Crown.

“I don’t think he’ll lose anything if you do it, so we might as well try it,” Gasaway said of the upcoming turf test. “It’s certainly in his pedigree. And so we would like to see if it’s really in there, and I think the Million would be a great spot for him to try it out. He did train on the turf track at Saratoga this week, and he seemed to handle it really nicely.”