Mystik Dan wins 150th Kentucky Derby by a nose
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky — The 150th Kentucky Derby produced one of the most dramatic finishes in its history — three noses at the wire.
Mystik Dan fought desperately to hang on with two challengers coming to him in the closing strides. He did, too, after a delay of several minutes while the closest three-horse photo finish since 1947 was sorted out.
Mystik Dan, an 18-1 shot, edged Sierra Leone by a nose, with Forever Young another nose back in third.
Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. squeezed Mystik Dan through a tight spot to reach the rail turning for home and the bay colt suddenly found another gear. He took off down the stretch and built a slight lead.
“When he shot through that spot, he was able to cut the corner and I asked him to go for it,” Hernandez said. “He shot off and I’m like: ‘Oh man, I’ve got a big chance to win the Kentucky Derby.’ ”
Mystik Dan got so close to the rail that Hernandez’s boot struck it. “But I think we can buy another pair of boots,” he said.
The winner’s share of the record $5 million US purse was $3.1 million, with the jockey and trainer typically earning 10% each.
“Just a brilliant, brilliant, brilliant jockey and ride,” winning trainer Kenny McPeek said. “Brian is one of the most underrated jockeys, but not anymore, right?”
Sierra Leone, the second choice at 9-2, and Forever Young from Japan gave chase and pressured the leader to the wire in front of 156,710 at Churchill Downs, the largest crowd since 2018. It was just the 10th Kentucky Derby decided by a nose — the closest margin in horse racing — and the first since Grindstone edged Cavonnier to wear the garland of red roses in 1996.
The crowd waited several minutes in the heat and humidity as the result was reviewed by the stewards and declared official. “The longest few minutes of my life,” Hernandez said. “To see your number flash up to win the Derby, I don’t think it will sink in for a while.”
Fierceness, the 3-1 favourite, finished 15th in the field of 20 three-year-olds.
Jockey Hernandez and trainer McPeek had teamed for a wireto-wire win in the Kentucky Oaks for fillies on Friday with Thorpedo Anna.
McPeek became the first trainer to sweep both races since Ben Jones in 1952.