Kentucky Derby Results 2024: Race Highlights, Video Replay and Reaction
Alex BallentineMay 5, 2024Kentucky Derby Results 2024: Race Highlights, Video Replay and Reaction
The 2024 Kentucky Derby was contested over the traditional 1¼ miles, but it came down to a matter of inches with Mystik Dan pulling off an upset down the final stretch.
Fierceness came in as a major favorite to win the race after an absolutely dominant win at the Florida Derby. But the final few lengths were challenged by three horses as Sierra Leone and Forever Young charged toward the finish line.
NBC Sports provided the full footage from the most exciting two minutes in sports:
Here's a look at the complete finishing order and prize payout information for the historic 150th running of the race.
2024 Kentucky Derby Finishing Order and Prize Payout
- Mystik Dan—$3.1 million
- Sierra Leone—$1 million
- Forever Young—$500,000
- Catching Freedom—$250,000
- T O Password—$150,000
- Resilience
- Stronghold
- Honor Marie
- Endlessly
- Dornoch
- Track Phantom
- West Saratoga
- Domestic Product
- Epic Ride
- Fierceness
- Society Man
- Just Steel
- Grand Mo The First
- Catalytic
- Just A Touch
Prize Money info via Louisville Courier-Journal
Highlights and Reaction
Regardless of whether Mystik Dan and his connections pursue the Triple Crown he's still going to be remembered for winning one of the most exciting American Classics in recent memory.
The Derby posted the photo finish that showed the winner edging out the competition by a nostril.
The memorable finish to the race had people thinking back on some other iconic finishes:
While there have been plenty of memorable moments go down under the Twin Spires, it is exceedingly rare for the first jewel of the Triple Crown to come down to a photo finish. ESPN's Marty Smith shared just how rare it is:
NBC Sports also provided the overhead footage of the race which gave another angle of just how close the the run to the finish was.
It proved to be a great weekend for trainer Kenny McPeek. He became the first trainer since 1952 and the fourth ever to win both the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks in the same year. Thorpeda Anna won the 150th Oaks on Friday night in a much more dominant showing.
Going into the weekend McPeek and jockey Brian Hernandez hadn't won either of the major Churchill Downs races despite 33 combined entries. With Hernandez aboard both winners, they made history together.
It's going to be hard for the rest of the major races left on the calendar to top what we saw in Louisville, but the fun is just getting started.
McPeek was non-committal about whether his horse would enter the Preakness and contend for the second jewel of the Crown, per Andrew DeWitt of The Athletic.
If he does it will certainly bring more attention to the historic race on May 18th at Pimlico race track in Baltimore, Maryland.
Not only will a few of the contenders from the Derby be waiting for him but a few contenders who sat this one out waiting on their shot at the glory and prize money that comes with winning an American Classic.