Mystik Dan won the 150th Kentucky Derby on Saturday, snatching victory over Sierra Leone at the wire in a scintillating first leg of the U.S. Triple Crown at Churchill Downs.
Trained by Kenny McPeek and ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., Mystik Dan moved in front in the final straight and held off — by less than a nose — the late charges by second-favorite Sierra Leone and Japanese horse Forever Young.
After the fury of the race, McPeek and Hernandez had to wait just as long to see their horse, who went off with 18-1 odds, confirmed as the winner.