Isiah Pacheco rocking diamond-encrusted Tasmanian Devil (2024)

Mystik Dan is your winner of the 150th Kentucky Derby, winning in a photo finish by a hair over Sierra Leone and Forever Young. Mystik Dan entered the race with with 18-1 odds.

The underdog made up ground in the second half after the pack got off to a hot start with early leaders Fierceness and Track Phantom taking the pack through first half of the race in 46.63. The finishing order is 3-2-11-4.

Mystik Dan’s trainer Ken McPeek becomes the first trainer since 1952 to win the Oaks and Derby in the same year.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City Chiefs’ running back, is getting a warm welcome from the crowd on the Churchill Downs red carpet. The Athletic asked him about his diamond-encrusted Tasmanian Devil pendant: “This is a pendant that represents me, the Tasmanian devil. It’s the way I run on the field, pop right back up when I’m on the ground. This is me, that’s my trademark.”

About next season he says, “I’m just taking it play by play, the key is being unsatisfied… The goal is a three-peat.”

Jockey: Keith Asmussen

Trainer: Wayne Lukas

Birthplace: Kentucky

A $500,000 yearling purchase by the 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify, Just Steel represents 88-year-old Lukas’s chance to win a fifth Kentucky Derby, and first since 1999. With 11 races on his résumé, he’s run more than any other horse in the field (and nearly four times as many races as the horse to his hinside), with seven top-three finishes. Winless this year with three runner-up performances, he’s not done his best running on a wet track; consider using him underneath if it’s muddy.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The best thing I saw in the Kentucky Derby shop is these different socks.

There's the classic mint julep, a set of bowties themed with jockey silks and a hat set of socks.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Reed Sheppard talks to The Athletic on the red carpet at Churchill Downs about his love for Louisville and emotions headed to the NBA Draft:

“The fans, the school, the state, it’s really really hard to leave. That’s how much I’ve looked up to Kentucky.”

The 2024 Kentucky Derby will be the 150th running of the annual horse race in Louisville, Ky. Celebrities, famous athletes and horse racing enthusiasts will descend on Churchill Downs for the annual Run for the Roses.

The field is limited to 20 horses each year, and they qualify for the race through a series of point races. Only horses that are three years old are eligible to race in the Kentucky Derby, and it is open to both male and female horses.

The race is 1 1/4 miles long. Secretariat set the Kentucky Derby record in 1973 with a race time of 1:59 2/5. That record was set 50 years ago and still stands today. The race is commonly referred to as “the fastest two minutes in sports” (with variations also crowning it “the greatest two minutes” and “the most exciting two minutes”).

Saturday's weather forecast calls for a high of 79 with scattered showers.

The post-time for the 150th Kentucky Derby is set for 6:57 p.m. ET. The Kentucky Derby isn’t the only race on Derby Day at Churchill Downs — more than 10 races will be held starting at 10 a.m.

How to watch: Television coverage for the 2024 Kentucky Derby starts at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC. All coverage can also be streamed on Peaco*ck.

Required reading

• What makes Churchill Downs so special? The quirks, traditions of the Kentucky Derby’s home
• Kentucky Derby 2024 picks: The six factors that past winners have in common
• West Saratoga is a Kentucky Derby long shot. But so was his trainer

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Lisa Leslie has arrived on the red carpet at Churchill Downs! Asked about the “Caitlin Clark effect,” Leslie said she feels like the honorary basketball mom.

“I send messages to the ladies all the time. I support everything they do on the court. It’s so exciting to see the momentum.”

Jockey: Jesus Castanon

Trainer: Larry Demeritte

Birthplace: Kentucky

Once ubiquitous on the backstretches of U.S. racetracks, Black people have rarely gotten a spotlight in thoroughbred racing this century. Demeritte is only the third Black trainer in nearly 75 years to run a horse in the Derby, and should West Saratoga prevail on Saturday, it will be a victory for small trainers and trainers of color, both of which are far too often overlooked. Unfortunately, Demeritte is up against it: his horse, which cost $11,000, has never won in the mud, and he’s seldom faced competition at this level. Still, he’s been competitive in nearly all of his races, though he does seem to have a case of “seconditis.” Not putting on top, but intriguing underneath.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Beyoncé Effect is here. Cowboy hats and boots are dotted everywhere in the crowd here at Churchill Downs.

I asked Charles Davis (pictured here) what inspired his outfit when it caught my eye. "I'd have to say 'Cowboy Carter,'" he said with a smile.

As happy as we all are that 20 horses are healthy and happy and ready to go, pop culture fans have missed out on having Mugatu, named after Will Ferrell’s character in Zoolander, in the field.

The alternate would’ve stepped in if a second horse scratched, but will instead run next in the Peter Pan at Aqueduct on May 11, according to Bloodhorse.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Everyone needs to grab something for their friends or family from the 150th Kentucky Derby.

Bad news for fans here today is that a lot of the 150th Kentucky Derby merchandise has already been cleared out when I ventured into a couple of different gift shops this morning.

One of the weirdest items I saw was this plush horse making a strange grin. What happened to your traditional plush horse?

Jockey: Tyler Gaffilone

Trainer: Chad Brown

Birthplace: Kentucky

When you pay $2.3 million for a horse that’s not even 18 months old, you expect him to win big races, and Sierra Leone has delivered, winning two graded stakes this year in the Derby prep series, and finishing second by a nose in another last year. He loves the mud, and his closing running style means that this inside post isn’t as much of a disadvantage as it might be for other runners. Nothing not to like here.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Today's weather forecast calls for a high of 79 with scattered showers. As Dana O'Neil said, there's a possibility the track gets upgraded if some of the forecasted scattered showers miss Churchill Downs.

For what it's worth, the local forecaster here said there could be some downpours that last a few minutes.