The 150th Kentucky Derby came down a photo finish. Three horses crossed the finish line at just about the same time. In the end, Mystik Dan won the race in one of the most thrilling finishes in Derby history.
Mystik Dan entered the race at 18-1 odds. It won by a nose over Sierra Leone and Forever Young. Catching Freedom came in fourth. Sierra Leone entered the race as the No. 2 favorite, and came oh-so-close to a win.
Here’s a look at how close the race was down the stretch:
The finish line photo is even more striking. This is the official photo finish.
It’s the first photo finish in 28 years. It’s only the 10th photo finish in the 150-year history of the Kentucky Derby.
Trainer Kenny McPeek wins the Kentucky Derby with Mystik Dan after winning the 2024 Kentucky Oaks with Thorpedo Anna. He’s the first trainer to win the Derby and Oaks in the same year since Ben Jones did it in 1952. Brian Hernandez is the winning jockey.
Fierceness entered the race as the favorite with 3-1 odds. It had been a rough stretch for the Derby favorite in recent years: after winning every Run for the Roses from 2013-2018, the favorite had not won since.
Mystik Dan follows in the footsteps of Mage, who won the 2023 Kentucky Derby with 15-1 odds last year.
Full results for 2024 Kentucky Derby
Here’s the full results for the 2024 Kentucky Derby:
The Kentucky Derby is the start of Triple Crown season. Mystik Dan will now go for the second leg of the Triple Crown at the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore on May 18. The Belmont Stakes is the final leg of the Triple Crown, which will take place on June 8 at Saratoga Race Course in New York due to renovations being made at its traditional venue, Belmont Park.
Kentucky Derby 2024 purse: Winnings for Run for Roses
There’s $5 million total up for grabs at the 2024 Kentucky Derby. Here’s the purse breakdown:
- First place: $3.1 million
- Runner-up: $1 million
- Third-place $500K
- Fourth-place: $250K
- Fifth-place: $150K
