The 150th Kentucky Derby ended in a photo shoot. Three horses crossed the finish line almost at the same time. In the end, Mystic Dan won the race in one of the most thrilling finishes in Derby history.
Mystic Dan entered the race at odds of 18-1. They won by a nose over Sierra Leone and Forever Young. Catching Freedom took 4th place. Sierra Leone entered the race as second favorite and came very close to winning.
Here’s how close the race was until the end.
The finish line photo is even more impressive. This is the final official photo.
This is the first photo finish in 28 years. This is only the 10th photo finish in the Kentucky Derby’s 150-year history.
Trainer Kenny McPeek won the 2024 Kentucky Oaks with Thorped Anna and then won the Kentucky Derby with Mystic Dan. Brian Hernandez is the first horse trainer to win the Derby and Oaks in the same year since Ben Jones in 1952.
Fierceness entered the race as the favorite with odds of 3 wins and 1 loss. Things have been tough for Derby favorites in recent years. After winning every Run for the Roses from 2013 to 2018, the favorite had not won since then.
Mystic Dan follows in the footsteps of Mage, who last year won the 2023 Kentucky Derby at odds of 15-1.
The Kentucky Derby kicks off the Triple Crown season. Mystic Dan will now compete in the second leg of the Triple Crown race at the Preakness Stakes on May 18th at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. The Belmont Stakes is the final race of the Triple Crown races and will be held on June 8th at Saratoga Race Course. It will be held in New York as the traditional venue, Belmont Park, is undergoing renovations.
Kentucky Derby 2024 Purse: Run for Roses Prize Money
A total of $5 million is at stake in the 2024 Kentucky Derby. The contents of the wallet are as follows.
- 1st place: $3.1 million
- Runner-up: $1 million
- 3rd place $500,000
- 4th place: $250,000
- 5th place: $150,000
