Mystik Dan Wins Kentucky Derby in Photo Finish

 Wow!  What an amazing finish in the Kentucky Derby this afternoon! In front of grandstands holding 156,710 fans, we waited for several minutes for the results - Mystik Dan was the winner by a nostril; and Sierra Leone was in second place by a nostril over Forever Young (JPN).  Mystik Dan had the lead for the last quarter-mile, while Sierra Leone kept lugging to the inside and bumping Forever Young (JPN), who kept pulling to the outside and bumping Sierra Leone.  I'd bet that both colts have sore ribs tonight and tomorrow.
   Mystik Dan is a bay son of Goldencents, out of the Colonel John mare Ma'am.  He is trained by Kenny McPeek, and his jockey is Brian Hernandez, Jr.  The trainer and jockey won the Kentucky Oaks yesterday with Thorpedo Anna.  It is only the third time in 150 years that a trainer has won the Oaks and Derby in the same year - the last time was in 1952, when Ben Jones accomplished the double win.  It's only the 9th time that a jockey has won both races in the same year, with Pat Day being the last in 2009.
   At the start of the race, Fierceness was the betting favorite at 3 to 1; Sierra Leone was second choice at 9 to 2; and Forever Young was the third choice at 7 to 1.  Mystik Dan was in the middle of the betting odds at 17 to 1.  The track was fast today, as opposed to the slop for yesterday's Oaks.
   When the starting gate opened, Track Phantom went to the early lead and led the way; the first quarter was run in 22.97 seconds; the half-mile in 46.63 seconds; and the 3/4 mile was completed in 1:11.31.  Just Steel and Fierceness followed Track Phantom, with the rest of the field behind.  But Mystik Dan had been in fourth place and was slightly out from the rail.  At the 3/4  mark, Track Phantom drifted out from the rail, and by the time the horses had reached the mile pole, Mystik Dan had squeezed through the hole on the rail, and had the lead, marking the mile in 1:37.46.  Then Forever Young (JPN) started moving up, while Sierra Leone had to swing out wide and pass the rest of the field, beginning at the 3/4 pole.  Closing in on the finish line, Sierra Leone and Forever Young (JPN) began their bumping match, while Mystik Dan kept his eyes front and center.
   The stewards reviewed the entire race, with a lot of time spent focused on the bumping in the stretch, before they announced the winner and payouts.  Mystik Dan had won the race in a time of 2:03.34, winning by a nose over Sierra Leone, who was a nose in front of Forever Young (JPN).  Catching Freedom had finished in fourth place, 1 3/4 lengths behind Forever Young (JPN).  The pre-race betting favorite and 2-year-old champion Fierceness finished 15th.
Top: Winner Mystik Dan by a nose; middle: Forever Young (JPN) third
by 2 noses; bottom: Sierra Leone, second by a nose - in the 2024
Kentucky Derby

   Unlike yesterday's Kentucky Oaks, where each of the 14 entries received a portion of the $1.5 million purse, in today's Kentucky Derby only the top 5 finishers received a part of the $5 million prize.  Following is the complete order of finish, along with purse money earned:  1.  Mystik Dan  ($3.1 million);  2.  Sierra Leone  ($1 million);  3.  Forever Young (JPN) [$500,000];  4.  Catching Freedom  ($250,000);  5.  T O Password (JPN) [$150,000];  6.  Resilience;  7.  Stronghold;  8.  Honor Marie;  9.  Endlessly;  10.  Dornoch;  11.  Track Phantom;  12.  West Saratoga;  13.  Domestic Product;  14.  Epic Ride;  15.  Fierceness;  16.  Society Man;  17.  Just Steel;  18.  Grand Mo the First;  19.  Catalytic;  20.  Just a Touch.
   As always, I denote betting pay-outs in the form of a $2 bet placed.  A bet on Mystik Dan to win paid $39.22; a bet on Sierra Leone to place paid $6.54; and a bet on Forever Young (JPN) to show paid $5.58.  A $2 exacta paid $258.56; a trifecta paid $2,227.68; and the superfecta paid $16,508.
A second view of the 2024 Kentucky Derby, a few strides before the finish line.
At left in black blinkers is Sierra Leona; in the middle with red hood is Forever
Young (JPN); and on the right is the winner, Mystik Dan.

My next racing blog post will be about the Black-Eyed Susan and the Preakness Stakes on May 17th and 18th in Maryland.

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