Spectators watch from the new paddock at Churchill Downs on Kentucky Oaks Stakes Day, Friday, May 3, 2024, the day before the 150th Kentucky Derby.
Jabin Botsford | The Washington Post | Getty Images
Mystik Dan beats Forever Young and Sierra in photos to win the 150th Kentucky Derby.
Mystik Dan and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. went out at 18-to-1 odds and crossed the finish line with a slim lead. Second choice Sierra Leona is chasing the leader at odds of 9/2 and Forever Young from Japan at Churchill Downs at odds of 156,710.
This is only the 10th Kentucky Derby, the closest margin in horse racing and the first since 1996 when the millstone was garlanded with red roses.
The crowd waited several minutes for the results to be reviewed and officially announced by the stewards.
“This was the longest few minutes of my life,” Hernandez said after he and Becolt had circled the scene and the shocking result had settled. “To see your number flash up and win a derby, I don’t think it’s going to be well-received for a while.”
A fierce, 3-1 favorite and ranked 15th among 20 3-year-olds.
Mystik Dan ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:03.34 and paid $39.22, $16.32 and $10.
Hernandez and trainer Kenny McPeak gave the mare a wire-to-wire victory Friday at the Kentucky Oaks with Sopedo Ana. McPeak is the first trainer since Ben Jones in 1952 and the fourth ever to sweep both races.
McPeak’s only win in the Triple Crown was also a shock: Salava won the 2002 Belmont Stakes by a score of 70-1, the biggest upset in the event’s history. The colt spoiled the fight for the Triple Crown.
Sierra Leone returned US$6.54 and US$4.64. Forever Young again narrowly finished in third place and paid the $5.58 entry fee.
Sierra fought hard to catch up and collided with Forever Young three times during the race, but jockey Ryuusei Sakai did not commit a foul.
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