Mystik Dan wins 150th Kentucky Derby in photo finish and collects record-breaking prize purse

Mystik Dan won the 150th Kentucky Derby Saturday evening before 156,710 fans at Churchill Downs to claim a historic $3.1 million grand prize.

At 16/1 odds, the relative long shot trained by Kenny McPeek and ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr. won a breathtaking finish at the iconic Louisville racetrack by a nose. A three-way photo finish was needed in a remarkably close finish which eventually decided Mystik Dan edged Sierra Leone and Forever Young, getting a piece of the event's record-high $5 million purse with payouts of $1 million and $500,000 each for second and third.

The milestone 150th edition of the derby attracted both a world-class crop of horses and an extra-gaudy selection of the event's famous hats and dresses. The iconic wide-brimmed sun hats, sleek facilitators and colorful headbands featured around Churchill Downs, a flamboyant fashion sense that extended to the event's notable celebrity cohort.

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Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce's appearance in Louisville, notably without pop sensation girlfriend Taylor Swift, turned heads with a sharp off-white blazer and blue fedora, later seen enjoying the event with ex-NBA forward Chandler Parsons. The two accomplished athletes were seen at an exclusive table with electronic duo The Chainsmokers, and the event's red carpet also offered a glimpse at New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers, late-night host Jimmy Fallon and rapper Jack Harlow.

Attendees raved about the additions debuted at Churchill Downs that "brought [the track] into the 21st century." Chief among these was a $200 million paddock, one of several ritzy additions designed to appeal towards Kelce, Stewart and the Derby's high-income crowd.

"I can’t get over the big changes; we’re just sitting here in awe of them," local resident Jennifer Fultz told the Louisville Courier-Journal. "It’s fantastic. This is big time... It’s like we went from local to the Super Bowl."

Fierceness and Sierra Leone began the afternoon as the two favorites. Fierceness was in the mix for much of the race but faded on the homestretch while Sierra Leone could not quite get up on the line to beat Mystik Dan.

Winning jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. won his first-ever Kentucky Derby crown while previous champions John Velazquez, John Rosario, Florent Geroux and Flavien Prat could not repeat their past triumphs . Mystik Dan takes a crucial first step toward securing a historic triple crown, a feat achieved just twice since 1978 by American Pharoah (2015) and Justify (2018), and will to claim the second leg at the Preakness Stakes May 18 in Baltimore.