Kentucky Derby live updates: Mystic Dan wins

Mystic Dan finished just ahead of Sierra Leone in a dramatic photo finish.

Mystic Dan completed his 150th running of the legendary horse race. He entered at odds of 16-1. Sierra Leone came in second place.

All 20 horses are walking towards the gate. The race will take place exactly five minutes later at 6:57pm ET.

Sierra Leone is even closer. He prefers to sit far away and rev up slowly so he can make one big charge. He will benefit if he can have some hot pace heading into Saturday.

In contrast, intensity indicates a desire to run at or near the front. If he gets caught up in the heated pace, it could be his downfall. In contrast, a more modest opening position would put him in a stronger position when the race turns home.

Off to the races, as they say.

What I like to do is try to find long shots and focus on one in particular. He has a running style that he’s done well in the past and doesn’t challenge the pace, but he also doesn’t sit too far off the pace to get stuck in traffic. His most recent race, the Arkansas Derby, was his best yet, and there is reason to think he can improve even further. He also ticks both ‘final minutes’ boxes, with a peak Beyer speed of 95, which is where almost every Derby winner this century has been to the right of this line.

And, well, I’m sentimental too. His trainer, 88 years old, has won four Derbies and still heads to the barn early every morning in search of more wins. I admit that perhaps my heart is set on this race seriously, but the odds are great and the Derby only happens once a year, so why not? I’m going with D. Wayne Lucas and Just Steel.

NBC Sports’ Al Bernstein said West Saratoga could offer good value.

“Look at West Saratoga, a horse who was bought for $11,000. His veteran trainer (Larry DeMerritt) had never had a horse this good and had been battling cancer in recent years, so this… is a touching story, said Harry Veruci, one of the West Saratoga horse owners likely to buy a horse at the end of the sale after all the big buyers went home with six-figure-plus purchases. says he likes to buy horses between $10,000 and $25,000.West Saratoga was at the bottom of that range.

“West Saratoga has racked up enough points in the lead-up to qualify for the Kentucky Derby, but it goes deeper here, even though logic says he can’t make it. , that’s why they race, the unexpected and unpredictable things tend to happen from time to time. ”

NBC Sports announced today that it will continue to broadcast the Kentucky Derby on NBC and Peacock until 2032.

“As we celebrate the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs is proud to expand our relationship with NBC Sports,” Churchill Downs CEO Bill Carstanjen said in a news release. “For the past 23 years, NBC has been our media partner, masterfully capturing the most exciting two minutes in sports and the sensory spectacle that surrounds them.”

The horses had just circled the track on their way to the paddock. As the call for submissions approaches, the stands are filling up.