Mystik Dan, last year’s Derby winner, seeks first victory since at Oaklawn Park

Last year’s Kentucky Derby champion will once again be racing on the first Saturday in May — but a long way from Churchill Downs.

The 2024 champion will run in the $200,000 Lake Ouachita Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile race for horses aged 4 and older at Oaklawn Park, in hopes of his first victory since the three-horse photo finish nearly a year ago. Typically ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., who will be in Louisville for the Kentucky Derby, Mystik Dan will instead race with Francisco Arrieta.

Mystik Dan, trained by Kenny McPeek, captured the world’s attention with his win in the 2024 Kentucky Derby, and finished second in the Preakness. Mystik Dan fell upon an unlucky streak, and has not crossed the finish line first in any of his four starts since the Run for the Roses. He finished eighth in the Belmont Stakes in June 2024, and sixth in the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita on Dec. 26.

Mystik Dan’s sole start this year, the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes at Gulfstream Park, resulted in a ninth-place finish.

Now 11 starts into his career, Mystik Dan has placed first three times, including twice in stakes races; the colt won the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes on Feb. 3, 2024, approximately three months before making history on Derby Day. Last season, Mystik Dan made three starts at Oaklawn Park, including the Southwest Stakes victory.

The Lake Ouachita Stakes is the 11th race on Oaklawn Park’s 12-race card, and each of the eight horses slated to race hail from Kentucky. Mystik Dan had the second-best odds to win on the morning line, sitting at 5-2, behind the Brad Cox-trained Saudi Crown (8-5), who will be ridden by Abel Cedillo.

The race is set to start at 7:15 p.m. EDT, just 18 minutes after the scheduled post time of 6:57 for tonight’s Kentucky Derby in Louisville.

This story was originally published May 3, 2025 at 7:54 AM.

Caroline Makauskas

Lexington Herald-Leader

859-379-9489

Caroline Makauskas is a sports reporter for the Lexington Herald-Leader. She covers Kentucky women’s basketball and other sports around Central Kentucky. Born and raised in Illinois, Caroline graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with degrees in Journalism and Radio/Television/Film in May 2020. Support my work with a digital subscription