The race was broadcast by NBC. Coverage of undercard events began at noon EDT on USA Network before transitioning to the main NBC network for pre-race activities at 2:30 p.m. The entirety of the day was also streamed on NBC's streaming platform Peacock. FanDuel TV also provided live streaming from 10:30 a.m. to noon and from 7:30 p.m. until the festivities ended.[6]
A record $210.7 million was bet on the 2024 Kentucky Derby. Overall, a record $320.5 million was bet on the races that were run at Churchill Downs on the day of the Kentucky Derby.[7] NBC reported an average of 16.7 million viewers across its platforms and a peak audience of 20.1 million viewers, making it the most watched running of the race since 1989.[8] Prior to the race, NBC and Churchill Downs announced an extension of NBC's broadcasting rights to last through 2032.[9]
The field was limited to twenty horses who qualify based on points earned in the 2024 Road to the Kentucky Derby, a series of designated races that was first introduced in 2013. This point system replaced the previous graded stakes race earnings system.[10] The Main Road consists mostly of races in North America and one in Dubai, the Japan Road consists of four races in Japan, and the European Road consists of seven races in Great Britain, Ireland and France.[11] T O Password qualified via the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby.[11] Horses trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who is suspended from entering and racing horses at tracks owned by Churchill Downs, did not earn any qualification points.[12]
Entries
The field was drawn on April 27. Fierceness was installed as the 5-to-2 favorite and drew post number 17.[13][14]
On April 30, Encino was scratched from the entry list after suffering a soft tissue strain, which allowed the John Ennis-trained Epic Ride to qualify from the also-eligible list.[15]
Results
The race was won by the Ken McPeek-trained Mystik Dan, who won a three-way photo finish over Sierra Leone and Japanese contender Forever Young. Mystik Dan came into the race with two wins in six starts, with his most recent victory coming in the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park. Pre-race favorite Fierceness was among the early front runners of the race with Just Steel and Track Phantom, but Fierceness ultimately was unable to keep pace in the home stretch and dropped to a 15th-place finish. Track Phantom finished 11th and Just Steel finished 17th. Mystik Dan was brought to the rail by jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. soon after the start and sat mid-pack behind a modest pace before making his bid for the lead around the far turn when he slipped past Track Phantom. He held a short lead turning for home and drew clear by two lengths down the stretch. Sierra Leone and Forever Young closed late, but were not able to catch Mystik Dan, who held on to win the race by a nose in the race's first three-horse photo finish since the 1947 Kentucky Derby. Sierra Leone and Forever Young repeatedly bumped each other down the stretch, but neither horse's jockey claimed a foul.[5][16][17][18][19] The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission announced that the stewards ordered Tyler Gaffalione's presence at the race's “film review” on May 9. In the final straightaway duel, Gaffalione made multiple contacts with Forever Young with his left hand. Chad Brown, however, defended his jockey.[20] Gaffalione was given a $2,500 fine for the incident.[21]
^Mugatu was second on the also-eligible list. He did not draw in to the field as there was only one scratch from the original field of 20 before race day.[22]
