What was that thing on Derby winner Mage’s nose? And why one company was happy he wore it

Kentucky Derby winner Mage was sporting a patch on his nose that became covered with mud during his run at Churchill Downs Saturday. After the race, he still had it on in the Winner’s Circle.

So what was that thing?

Apparently, it’s kind of like a Breathe-Right strip for horses.

Equine nasal strips are supposed to help open the nasal passages, which makes it easier for a horse to take in oxygen, according to the website of Flair, a strip company that advertises its product as a drug-free way to “promote optimum health of equine athletes.”

But a 2020 report by ABC News said that though the strips were all the rage at the 2019 Breeder’s Cup, their popularity was waning, and not everyone was sold on their effectiveness.

At the same time, more states were allowing the strips to be used at racetracks. Kentucky had been among the first states to permit them, ABC reported.

In 2014, California Chrome wore the strips when he won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness, and there was a dust-up over whether he’d be permitted to wear one at Belmont Park in a try for the Triple Crown. Ultimately, New York officials changed their policy to allow them.

The strip Mage was wearing in the Kentucky Derby Saturday was printed with a logo for MagnaWave.

MagnaWave shared a photo of the Derby winner wearing the strip in a Facebook post, saying that Mage uses MagnaWave “daily and we gave him some nasal strips That he happened To wear in the Derby.”

MagnaWave is a Louisville-based wellness company that offers “pulsed electro-magnetic fields” equipment for use on livestock and pets.

“MagnaWave machines have a unique electrical current that runs through a copper coil that creates a pulsing magnetic field,” the company’s website states.

For racehorses, the company says the machine “aids a horse in the post workout routine by assisting in recovery and reducing the soreness associated with muscle strain and lactic acid build up. PEMF helps a horse to train at its best, compete to its fullest, and bounce back from injury or work as quickly as possible. Regular use of PEMF relaxes the horse, reduces aches and pains, and improves general wellness.”