It was a three-way thriller to the wire in the 150th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

Mystik Dan, ridden by Brian Hernandez, held on late to win a three-way photo finish by just a nose over Sierra Leone and Forever Young to capture the first leg of the Triple Crown on Saturday night in front of 156,710 fans.

"It's like a dream come true," Hernandez said.

Sent off at odds of 18-1, Mystik Dan made the turn for home in front and stayed on the rail with Forever Young just to his outside and Sierra Leone on the far outside.

There was a gasp from the crowd as the three colts hit the finish line. It took several minutes for the racing stewards to look at the finish line photo and declare Mystik Dan the winner.

It was just the 10th Kentucky Derby decided by a nose -- which is the closest margin you can have in horse racing -- and it was the first nose decision since Grindstone edged out Cavonnier in the 1996 Derby. (Reuters)