The 2024 Kentucky Derby (officially, the 150th Running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve) was the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby. It took place on May 4, 2024, at Churchill Downs, in Louisville, Kentucky.[1] The race was open to 20 horses, who qualified for the race through the 2024 Road to the Kentucky Derby.
| Kentucky Derby | |
| Grade I stakes race | |
 2024 Kentucky Derby | |
| Location | Churchill Downs Louisville, Kentucky, United States |
|---|---|
| Date | May 4, 2024 |
| Distance | 1+1⁄4 mi (10 furlongs; 2,012 m) |
| Winning horse | Mystik Dan |
| Winning time | 2:03.34 |
| Jockey | Brian Hernandez Jr. |
| Trainer | Kenneth G. McPeek |
| Owner | Lance Gasaway, Daniel Hamby, 4G Racing |
| Conditions | Fast |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Attendance | 156,710 |
The race was won in a three-way photo finish by Mystik Dan, at 18-1 odds. Mystik Dan held off late charges by Sierra Leone and Forever Young to reach the wire first by a nose with Brian Hernandez Jr. aboard.[2][3] It was the first nose margin victory in this event since the 1996 Kentucky Derby won by Grindstone.[4] One day before the Kentucky Derby, Hernandez and trainer Kenny McPeek teamed up with Thorpedo Anna to win the Kentucky Oaks.[3] McPeek became the first trainer since 1952 to win the Kentucky Oaks and the Kentucky Derby in the same year.[4]
The race was broadcast by NBC. Coverage of undercard events began at noon EDT on USA Network before transitioning to the main NBC network for pre-race activities at 2:30 p.m. EDT. The entirety of the day will also be streamed on NBC's streaming platform Peacock. FanDuel TV will also provide live streaming from 10:30 a.m. to noon EDT and from 7:30 p.m. EDT until festivities end.[5]
Qualification edit
The field is limited to twenty horses who qualify based on points earned in the 2024 Road to the Kentucky Derby, a series of designated races that was first introduced in 2013. This point system replaced the previous graded stakes race earnings system.[6] The Main Road consists mostly of races in North America and one in Dubai, the Japan Road consists of four races in Japan, and the European Road consists of seven races in Great Britain, Ireland and France.[7] T O Password qualified via the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby.[7] Horses trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who is suspended from entering and racing horses at tracks owned by Churchill Downs, did not earn any qualification points.[8]
Entries edit
The field was drawn on April 27. Fierceness was installed as the 5-to-2 favorite and drew post number 17.[9][10]
On April 30, Encino was scratched from the entry list after suffering a soft tissue strain, which allowed the John Ennis-trained Epic Ride to qualify from the also-eligible list.[11]
Results edit
The race was won by the Ken McPeek-trained Mystik Dan, who won a three-way photo finish over Sierra Leone and Japanese contender Forever Young. Mystik Dan came into the race with two wins in six starts, with his most recent victory coming in the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park. Mystik Dan was brought to the rail by jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. soon after the start and sat mid-pack behind a modest pace before making his bid for the lead around the far turn. He held a short lead turning for home and drew clear by two lengths down the stretch. Sierra Leone and Forever Young closed late, but were not able to catch Mystik Dan, who held on to win the race by a nose.[12][13][14]
| Finish | Program
Numbers |
Horse | Qualifying
Points |
Trainer | Jockey | Morning Line Odds |
Final Odds | Margin (Lengths) |
Winnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Mystik Dan | 46 | Kenneth G. McPeek | Brian Hernandez Jr. | 20–1 | 18.61 | $3,100,000 | |
| 2 | 2 | Sierra Leone | 155 | Chad C. Brown | Tyler Gaffalione | 3–1 | 4.79 | Nose | $1,000,000 |
| 3 | 11 | Forever Young (JPN) | 100 | Yoshito Yahagi | Ryusei Sakai | 10–1 | 7.03 | Head | $500,000 |
| 4 | 4 | Catching Freedom | 125 | Brad H. Cox | Flavien Prat | 8–1 | 8.47 | 1+3⁄4 | $250,000 |
| 5 | 10 | T O Password (JPN) | 40 | Daisuke Takayanagi | Kazushi Kimura | 30–1 | 48.20 | 6+1⁄2 | $150,000 |
| 6 | 19 | Resilience | 110 | William I. Mott | Junior Alvarado | 20–1 | 31.85 | 7+3⁄4 | |
| 7 | 18 | Stronghold | 125 | Philip D'Amato | Antonio Fresu | 20–1 | 35.55 | 12+3⁄4 | |
| 8 | 7 | Honor Marie | 65 | Whitworth D. Beckman | Ben Curtis | 20–1 | 14.90 | 13+1⁄2 | |
| 9 | 14 | Endlessly | 100 | Michael McCarthy | Umberto Rispoli | 30–1 | 48.83 | 13+3⁄4 | |
| 10 | 1 | Dornoch | 75 | Danny Gargan | Luis Saez | 20–1 | 22.91 | 18 | |
| 11 | 12 | Track Phantom | 70 | Steven M. Asmussen | Joel Rosario | 20–1 | 41.58 | 18+1⁄2 | |
| 12 | 13 | West Saratoga | 67 | Larry Demeritte | Jesús Castañón | 50–1 | 22.93 | 22+1⁄2 | |
| 13 | 15 | Domestic Product | 60 | Chad C. Brown | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 30–1 | 24.17 | 22+3⁄4 | |
| 14 | 21 | Epic Ride | 35 | John Ennis | Adam Beschizza | 50–1 | 47.57 | 23+3⁄4 | |
| 15 | 17 | Fierceness | 136 | Todd A. Pletcher | John R. Velazquez | 5–2 | 3.21 | 24+1⁄2 | |
| 16 | 20 | Society Man | 50 | Danny Gargan | Frankie Dettori | 50–1 | 47.41 | 32+1⁄2 | |
| 17 | 6 | Just Steel | 65 | D. Wayne Lukas | Keith Asmussen | 20–1 | 21.27 | 33+3⁄4 | |
| 18 | 16 | Grand Mo the First | 40 | Victor Barboza Jr. | Emisael Jaramillo | 50–1 | 49.32 | 37 | |
| 19 | 5 | Catalytic | 50 | Saffie Joseph Jr. | José Ortiz | 30–1 | 34.82 | 40+3⁄4 | |
| 20 | 8 | Just a Touch | 75 | Brad H. Cox | Florent Geroux | 10–1 | 11.57 | 54 | |
| scratched[11] | Encino | 40 | Brad H. Cox | Axel Concepcion | 20–1 | ||||
| Mugatu | 14 | Jeff Engler | Joseph Talamo | 50–1 |
Track condition: fast
Times: 1⁄4 mile – 22.97; 1⁄2 mile – 46.63; 3⁄4 mile – 1:11.31; mile – 1:37.46; final – 2:03.34.
Splits for each quarter-mile: (22.97) (23.66) (24.68) (26.15) (25.88)
Source: Equibase chart[14]
Payouts edit
The table below provides the Kentucky Derby payout schedule for a $2 stake.[14]
| Program number | Horse name | Win | Place | Show |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Mystik Dan | $39.22 | $16.32 | $10.00 |
| 2 | Sierra Leone | — | $6.54 | $4.64 |
| 11 | Forever Young | — | — | $5.58 |
- $2 Exacta (3–2): $258.56
- $0.50 Trifecta (3–2–11): $556.92
- $1 Superfecta (3–2–11–4): $8,254.07
- $1 Super High Five (3–2–11–4–10): $316,920.10
References edit
- ^ "2024 Kentucky Derby horses, futures, odds, date: Expert who called 10 Derby-Oaks Doubles gives picks". CBSSports.com. March 24, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
- ^ Culpepper, Chuck (May 4, 2024). "Mystik Dan wins the Kentucky Derby in a photo finish". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
- ^ a b Li, David K. (May 4, 2024). "Mystik Dan wins 2024 Kentucky Derby in a dramatic photo finish". NBC News. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
- ^ a b Frakes, Jason (May 4, 2024). "Mystik Dan wins Kentucky Derby at 18-1 odds as trainer Kenny McPeek etches name in history". Courier Journal. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
- ^ "Watch and Follow the 150th Kentucky Derby". kentuckyderby.com. Churchill Downs Incorporated. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
- ^ "About the Road to the Kentucky Derby". Churchill Downs Incorporated. Archived from the original on April 11, 2016. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
- ^ a b "Road to the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard" (PDF). kentuckyderby.com. April 22, 2024. Retrieved April 25, 2024.
- ^ Downey, Dick (April 24, 2024). "Court of Appeals Denies Zedan Emergency Motion Order entered late April 24 upholds earlier ruling in Louisville". Retrieved April 25, 2024.
- ^ "Fierceness a 5-2 morning-line favorite for 150th Kentucky Derby". espn.com. ESPN. April 27, 2024. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- ^ Frakes, Jason (April 27, 2024). "Kentucky Derby post positions are set. See who's favored, odds at Churchill Downs". courier-journal.com. Louisville Courier Journal. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
- ^ a b Grening, David (April 30, 2024). "Injury Forces Encino Out of Derby; Epic Ride In; Trainer Brad Cox said his trainee was "off after training" at Churchill Downs". Bloodhorse.com. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
- ^ Graves, Gary (May 4, 2024). "Kentucky Derby victory aboard Mystik Dan provides signature win for jockey Brian Hernandez Jr". Associated Press. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
- ^ King, Byron (May 4, 2024). "Mystik Dan Holds off Sierra Leone to Win Kentucky Derby". The Blood-Horse. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
- ^ a b c "2024 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve Grade 1 (race 12)" (PDF). Equibase. May 4, 2024. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
- ^ Hall, Gregory A. (May 3, 2024). "Encino, Also-Eligible Mugatu Only Early Derby Scratches". bloodhorse.com. Blood-Horse LLC. Retrieved May 3, 2024.