Kenny McPeek completes Oaks-Derby double as Mystik Dan wins Kentucky Derby in three-horse photo thriller

Kenny McPeek became the third trainer in history to complete a clean sweep of the Kentucky Oaks and Derby in the same year after Mystik Dan held on for victory in Saturday's Classic in a three-horse photo-finish. 

The son of Goldencents followed up Thorpedo Anna's Oaks success on Friday to land the mile-and-a-quarter contest by a nose from the fast-finishing Sierra Leone and Forever Young to secure a breakthrough Kentucky Derby success for McPeek, who became the first trainer to complete the double since Ben Jones in 1952. 

"It still hasn't sunk in. You know, it's unbelievable," McPeek, 61, told Bloodhorse. "We came into the weekend thinking we had good chances, really big chances, both Friday and Saturday, and then to just have the horses pull it off for us."

Mystik Dan was forced to fight for the historic victory with a decisive lunge up the rail under Brian Hernandez Jr on the bend, which saw him pull clear as the field entered the home straight. 

A late charge from Sierra Leona and Japanese raider Forever Young threatened to deny Mystik Dan but the colt held on narrowly to triumph in the 150th running of the biggest US race, nearly 30 years after his trainer sent out his first Kentucky Derby runner. 

"We might have took out a little bit of the inside fence, but that's okay," said Hernandez, who became just the eighth jockey to complete the Oaks-Derby double in the same year. 

"Once he cut the corner, he got a little separation on the closers, who were forced to kind of go around horses and he was able to hold them off."

Mystik Dan (far side) holds on for success at Churchill DownsCredit: Justin Casterline

Both Ben Curtis and Frankie Dettori failed to make an impact in the race, with Curtis's mount Honor Marie finishing eighth and Dettori's Society Man trailing in 16th of the 20 runners. 

The result followed a frustrating afternoon for Dettori which saw him place three times on the undercard, including runner-up finishes on Godolphin's Naval Power in the Grade 1 Turf Classic Stakes and Coppice, a former John and Thady Gosden-trained runner, in the Grade 2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes. 

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