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What is the Oaks/Derby Double? Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan contributes to a historic performance

story May 5, 2024
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Winning the Kentucky Derby is one of the most difficult feats to achieve not only in horse racing, but in all of American sports.

Even the legendary Kentucky Derby winners include jockeys, trainers and owners who set themselves apart from their competitors by an even rarer achievement: winning both the Derby and the Kentucky Oaks – a Grade I race for three-year-old fillies in the same season .

REQUIRED READING: Who won the 2024 Kentucky Derby? See race results, winner Mystik Dan from Derby 150

The feat is known as the “Oaks/Derby Double”.

Thorpedo Anna won the 2024 Kentucky Oaks on Friday, cementing the potential of this historic achievement for jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. and trainer Kenny McPeek. With Mystik Dan's photo finish victory in the 150th Kentucky Derby on Saturday, both Hernandez and McPeek joined the exclusive pantheon of horse racing legends.

Here's everything you need to know about the rare Oaks/Derby double, including how Hernandez and McPeek will continue to watch the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby races in 2024:

What is the Oaks/Derby Double?

The Oaks/Derby Double is an achievement achieved when a jockey, trainer or owner wins both the Kentucky Oaks and the Kentucky Derby in the same calendar year. The 2024 running of the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby will mark the tenth time this has happened, with the majority of incidents occurring in 2018.

This year, Head of Plains Partners and Monomoy Stables – co-owners of Monomoy Girl and Justify – became the third and fourth owners to achieve this feat.

REQUIRED READING: Kentucky Derby payout, purse: How much money will the winning horse make at Churchill Downs in 2024?

Winner of the Oaks/Derby Double

With wins by Thorpedo Anna in the Kentucky Oaks and Mystik Dan in the Kentucky Derby, Hernandez and McPeek became only the eighth jockey and fourth trainer, respectively, to achieve the Oaks/Derby double.

The second youngest jockey to achieve this feat was Calvin Borel in 2009, when horses Rachel Alexandra and Mine That Bird won the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby, respectively.

Ben Jones was the last trainer to achieve this feat when his horses – Real Delight and Hill Gail – won the 1952 Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby, respectively. He also achieved the feat in 1949.

Here's a look at each of the previous Oaks/Derby Double winners, including eight jockeys, four trainers and four owners:

Jockeys

  • 1884: Isaac Murphy
  • 1933: Don Meade
  • 1950: Bill Boland
  • 1952: Eddie Arcaro
  • 1966: Don Brumfield
  • 1993: Jerry Bailey
  • 2009: Calvin Borel
  • 2024: Brian Hernandez Jr.

owner

  • 1933: Edward R Bradley
  • 1952: Calumet Farm
  • 2018: Head of Plains Partners
  • 2018: Monomoy stables

Sports shoes

  • 1933: Herbert J. Thompson
  • 1949: Ben Jones
  • 1952: Ben Jones
  • 2024: Kenny McPeel

REQUIRED READING: Mystik Dan is a Kentucky Derby winner. Here's what you need to know about his family tree

Who won the 2024 Kentucky Oaks?

Thorpedo Anna won the 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Oaks in 2024 with a time of 1:50.83. Here's a look at how she achieved her dominant victory in Friday's race:

Who won the 2024 Kentucky Derby?

Mystik Dan's victory in the 2024 Kentucky Derby was significantly closer than Thorpedo Anna's. He won the 1 1/4 mile Kentucky Derby in a photo finish with an unofficial time of 2:03.34.

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