Joey Yazell Wins Kentucky Derby
Mystik Dan Beats 18-1 Longshot Odds In Triumph At The Run For The Roses
WE TOLD YOU SO!
Welcome to a very special one-off bonus edition of 1000% MAGAZINE!
We bring you this extra issue as a compliment to last week’s feature on the 2024 Kentucky Derby.
On Friday, May 3rd, the day before the contest, the initial weather forecast for Louisville was dismal, with rampant fears of thunderstorms and rain threatening Churchill Downs around race time. By Saturday afternoon the skies had cleared way to perfect conditions, the mint juleps flowed like a river of bourbon and an estimated crowd of over 156,000 people paraded around the course, with thousands more watching on TV across the world.
They were treated to one of the most exciting and closest races in memory. The final outcome had to be determined by a photo finish, the first since 1996. With a victorious final run time of two minutes and three seconds, Mystik Dan won by a nose.
In the edition of 1000% Magazine posted lasted Thursday, May 2nd, two days before the race, we interviewed Kentucky native Joey Yazell about his happy memories of the pageantry around the event and his predictions for this year. For easy reference, the following exchange is reprinted verbatim from "150 Years of the Run For The Roses";
Do you have any picks on the horses in the big race this year?
Joey: HA! I always have some bias towards my previous boss. He's got Mystik Dan this year. As a trainer he's won both the Preakness and the Belmont (2/3 of the triple crown), but has yet to win the elusive Derby. He's got Brian Hernandez Jr. on the mount. He's a good jockey, but hopefully he's aggressive and the horse is feeling good. I've been reading some positive notes on him…
Sierra Leone is of course the favorite, worth a WPS bet… Please don't call me if you lose any money!
After evaluating the photo finish, the official winners were declared as Mystik Dan in first place, Sierra Leone in second and Forever Young in third place. Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. guided Mystik Dan to victory.
MCPEEK MAKES HISTORY
It was a very good weekend for Mystik Dan’s trainer Kenny McPeek. On Friday McPeek’s fillie Thorpedo Anna won the Kentucky Oaks, again rode by Brian Hernandez Jr., who is clearly on a hot streak.
McPeek’s mint juleps tasted a little sweeter than everyone else’s, as winning both the Oaks and the Derby makes him only the third trainer in history to win both races in the same year. His previous accolades for winning the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico in 2020 with Swiss Skydiver and the Belmont Derby in 2022 with Classic Causeway confirm whatever his training methods involve, he’s doing everything right.
All attention turns now to the next phase of the Triple Crown, when the 2024 Preakness Stakes will run at Pimlico in Baltimore on Saturday May 18th. In a major change of location this year, the track at Belmont Park is under construction, so the Belmont Stakes will be held at Saratoga Race Course in upstate New York on Saturday June 8th.
One person who will definitely be watching every second of the action with anticipation is my dear friend and horse racing enthusiast John Harpur. Harpur was absolutely elated by the results at Churchill Downs, as his own instincts combined with Joey’s advice won him a cool $86.
When asked for a follow up quote for this recap, he replied;
“It pays to read great articles like this one…literally!”
Thanks again to Joey and Harpur for their generous input and infectious enthusiasm for the elegant sport of equestrian competition.
Thank you all for reading and most of all, remember;
IT PAYS TO READ 1000% MAGAZINE!
See you in the Winner’s Circle!