Connect with us

Culture

Kentucky Derby: Mystik Dan wins in photo finish

Published

on

Kentucky Derby: Mystik Dan wins in photo finish

Mystik Dan won the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. The winning time was 2:03.34.

He won in a photo finish over Sierra Leone and Forever Young. The Churchill Downs crowd roared as the three horses made their way down the stretch and then fell silent as no one could tell who won the race by a nose.

Mystik Dan, who entered the race with with 18-1 odds, had the lead coming around the final turn and saw his lead reduced in the final furlong, but he held on to win. Betting favorite Fierceness (3-1) ultimately finished in 15th after a strong start.

Advertisement

Winning the 150th Kentucky Derby on May 4 holds extra significance for Lance Gasaway, one of Mystik Dan’s owners whose father died a year ago today.

“To me, this is for him,” Gasaway said. “Dad would’ve loved it. He loved the game.”

GO DEEPER

The people and moments that made Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan

Mystik Dan is trained by Kenneth McPeek and ridden by Brian Hernandez. Both trainer and jockey also won Friday’s Kentucky Oaks with Thorpedo Anna. McPeek is the first trainer to win both the Kentucky Oaks and the Kentucky Derby on the same weekend since Ben Jones accomplished the feat in 1952. Entering Friday, neither McPeak nor Hernandez had ever won a Kentucky Oaks or Kentucky Derby.

Advertisement

“My horse was just cruising along so comfortably, it never felt like we were going that quickly,” Hernandez said. “I was just smiling the whole time. It’s an amazing feeling when you have the horse under you and you know they’re gonna go forward and forward and forward.”

A $2 win bet on Mystik Dan pays $39.22. A $2 exacta bet on Mystik Dan and Sierra Leone pays $258.56.

Full results with final betting odds set before race

  1. Mystik Dan (18-1)
  2. Sierra Leone (9-2)
  3. Forever Young (6-1)
  4. Catching Freedom (8-1)
  5. T O Password (48-1)
  6. Resilience (32-1)
  7. Stronghold (35-1)
  8. Honor Marie (15-1)
  9. Endlessly (48-1)
  10. Dornoch (22-1)
  11. Track Phantom (40-1)
  12. West Saratoga (22-1)
  13. Domestic Product (27-1)
  14. Epic Ride (47-1)
  15. Fierceness (3-1)
  16. Society Man (46-1)
  17. Just Steel (21-1)
  18. Grand Mo the First (47-1)
  19. Catalytic (34-1)
  20. Just a Touch (11-1)

Required reading

(Photo: Justin Casterline / Getty Images)

Culture

Try This Quiz on Thrilling Books That Became Popular Movies

Published

on

Try This Quiz on Thrilling Books That Became Popular Movies

Welcome to Great Adaptations, the Book Review’s regular multiple-choice quiz about printed works that have gone on to find new life as movies, television shows, theatrical productions and more. This week’s challenge highlights thrillers first published as novels (or graphic novels) that were adapted into popular films. Just tap or click your answers to the five questions below. And scroll down after you finish the last question for links to the books and their screen versions.

Continue Reading

Culture

Test Your Knowledge of the Authors and Events That Helped Shape the United States

Published

on

Test Your Knowledge of the Authors and Events That Helped Shape the United States

Welcome to Lit Trivia, the Book Review’s regular quiz about books, authors and literary culture. In honor of Gen. George Washington’s birthday on Feb. 22, this week’s super-size challenge is focused on the literature and history related to the American Revolution. In the 10 multiple-choice questions below, tap or click on the answer you think is correct. After the last question, you’ll find links to exhibits, books and other materials related to this intense chapter in the country’s story, including an award-winning biography of the general and first U.S. president.

Continue Reading

Culture

Video: How Much Do You Know About Romance Books?

Published

on

Video: How Much Do You Know About Romance Books?

Let’s play romance roulette. No genre has dominated the books world in the last few years. Like romance, it accounts for the biggest percentage of book sales, their avid fan bases. Everyone has been talking about romance as a Book Review editor and as a fan of the genre myself, I put together a to z glossary of 101 terms that you should know if you want to understand the world of romance are cinnamon roll. You may think a cinnamon roll is a delicious breakfast treat, but in a romance novel, this refers to a typically male character who is so sweet and tender and precious that you just want to protect him and his beautiful heart from the world. Ooh, a rake. This is basically the Playboy of historical romance. He defies societal rules. He drinks, he gambles. He’s out on the town all night and is a very prolific lover with a bit of a reputation as a ladies’ man. FEI these are super strong, super sexy, super powerful, immortal, fairy like creatures. One of my favorite discoveries in terms that I learned was stern brunch daddy. A lot of daddy’s usually a male love interest who seems very intimidating and alpha, but then turns out to be a total softie who just wants to make his love interest brunch. I think there’s a misconception that because these books can follow these typical patterns, that they can be predictable and boring. But I think what makes a really great romance novel is the way that these writers use the tropes in interesting ways, or subvert them. If you can think of it, there’s probably a romance novel about it. Oops, there’s only one bed. This is one of my personal favorite tropes is a twist on forced proximity. Characters find themselves in very close quarters, where inevitably sparks start to fly. Why choose is the porkulus dose of the romance world. Sometimes the best way to resolve a love triangle is by turning it into a circle, where everyone is invited to play. Oops, we lost one spice level. There’s a really wide spectrum. You can range from really low heat or no spice, what might also be called kisses. Only then you start to get into what we call closed door or fade to Black. These books go right up to the moment of intimacy, and then you get into what we call open door, which is more explicit. And sometimes these can get very high heat or spicy and even start verging into kink. There’s one thing that almost every romance novel has in common. It’s that no matter what the characters get up to in the end, it ends with a happily ever after. I say almost every romance novel. Sometimes you’re just happy for now.

Continue Reading

Trending