The 150th Kentucky Derby on Saturday ended in one of the closes finishes in the race’s history, with three horses crossing the wire neck-and-neck. After judges analyzed the three-way photo finish, the race was called for Mystik Dan, a thoroughbred bay colt considered an 18-1 longshot to win the competition.
In the last moments of the race, Mystik Dan led Sierra Leone and Forever Young by a nose entering the final stretch. This marked only the tenth time the Kentucky Derby was won by a nose-length lead, with the last coming in 1996.
Sierra Leone, considered the second-favorite to win at 9-2 odds, was also the most expensive horse in the race with a valuation of $2.3 million.
“You get beat a nose in the Kentucky Derby, it’s a tough one,” said Chad Brown, trainer of Sierra Leone. “But I’m so proud of the horse.”
At the top of the stretch, Track Phantom, another long shot that had been leading the pack up to that point, drifted wide of the rail, opening a space for Mystik Dan and jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. to pull ahead.
“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.’”
According to the Associated Press, Mystik Dan ran 1 1/4 miles over a fast track in 2:03.34 and paid $39.22, $16.32 and $10.
Stay tuned for videos, commentary, and more from Patrick Bet-David and Vincent Oshana, who were present for the dramatic race.
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