Tight finish to Kentucky Derby
Mystik Dan has held on by a nose in a three-way photo-finish to claim Kentucky Derby glory for trainer Kenny McPeek and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr.
Sierra Leone came home strongly but couldn't quite give his Coolmore owners compensation for City Of Troy's disappointing display in the 2000 Guineas, while Japanese raider Forever Young was another nose back in third.
A crowd of 156,710 packed into Churchill Downs let out an almighty roar for the 150th ‘Run for the Roses’ as Track Phantom took an early lead, flanked by Just Steel and the favourite, Fierceness.
That trio held sway until the turn for home, when Mystik Dan burst through on the inside rail and quickly stormed into a three-length lead. Sierra Leone and Forever Young fought hard to claw back the deficit and were closing in on the leader with every stride, but the finishing line came just in time for Mystik Dan.
It completed a memorable double for the successful trainer and jockey, who had won the Kentucky Oaks with Thorpedo Anna 24 hours earlier, and McPeek told NBC Sports: “Brian just did an amazing job - just a brilliant, brilliant, brilliant jockey and ride.”
Hernandez admitted the long wait for the result to be confirmed was agonising.
“This is just unbelievable, that was the longest few minutes I've ever felt in my life, waiting for them to put that number up,’’ he said.
“It was exciting when we hit the front but I wasn't sure we had won, so it was quite a rush to stay there and wait for it.
“This is a lifetime achievement. To be able to live that dream from when I was a six-year-old kid on my grandparents' farm, telling them all I was going to the Kentucky Derby one day - and here we are.’’