The horse was generally overlooked by most but he ran a smart race on the rail and poked his head in front in the final strides to hold off Sierra Leone and Forever Young in the blanket finish.
It also completed a rare double for trainer Kenny McPeek and jockey Brian Hernandez, who also won the Kentucky Oaks on Friday with Thorpedo Anna. It was only the fourth time that has been done.
“That was the longest few minutes in my life I’ve spent waiting for them to hang the dang number up,” Hernandez said.
McPeek was effusive with his praise for Hernandez.
“Brian did an amazing job,” McPeek said. “He’s just a brilliant, brilliant, brilliant jockey. He’s probably one of the most underrated riders in the business. But not anymore.”
(Justin Casterline / Getty Images)
Mystik Dan paid $39.22 to win.
The 3-year-old colt found his way to Churchill Downs with a third-place finish in the Arkansas Derby and a win in the Southwest Stakes, both at Oaklawn.
Mystik Dan likely will have a rematch with the Arkansas Derby winner, Muth, in two weeks at the Preakness.
Fierceness, the favorite, finished 15th, proving he may well be a “bounce” horse, running well every other race.
The race was also a coming-of-age party for Japanese horses. Forever Young finished third and T O Password was fifth.
The final order of finish was Mystik Dan, Sierra Leone, Forever Young, Catching Freedom, T O Password, Resilience, Stronghold, Jonor Marie, Endlessly, Dornach, Track Phantom, West Saratoga, Domestic Product, Epic Ride, Fierceness, Society Man, Just Steel, Grand Mo the First, Catalytic and Just a Touch.
Track officials were hoping to avoid the distractions that came with the last few Derbies and for the most part were successful. Last year there was a severe spike in fatalities, including two horses on Derby Day. The track eventually had to stop racing and move the meet to Ellis Park, which is also owned by Churchill Downs. No singular cause for the fatalities was discovered.
There is also the ongoing saga of Churchill Downs vs. Bob Baffert. The Hall of Fame trainer was suspended for two years after provisional 2021 winner Medina Spirit tested positive for legal medication that is not allowed on race day. Baffert was thought to be coming back this year but Churchill Downs unexpectedly added at least one more year to his suspension. Churchill Downs officials said that Baffert did not show enough contrition and didn’t take responsibility for the positive test.
On the eve of this year’s entry deadline, Amr Zedan, an owner of horses Baffert trains, sued Churchill Downs to try and get his horse Muth into the Derby. The litigation failed on both the district and appellate level.
It would have been a circus like none other if Baffert had won the case and showed up at Churchill Downs, sucking up all the oxygen from what the track was hoping would be the celebration surrounding its 150th running of the race.
And for insiders, there was the looming potential change of the television landscape. Since 2001 the Kentucky Derby has been on NBC but the contract was set to expire after next year. Fox has made a big push to get into the racing scene and outbid NBC for the Belmont Stakes, which it did for the first time last year. It also purchased 25% of NYRA Bets, the advance deposit wagering arm of the New York Racing Assn.
But, on Saturday afternoon, it was announced that a deal had been reached to keep the Kentucky Derby on NBC until 2032.
All in all, a pretty good week for Churchill and an even better one for McPeek and Hernandez.