Miracle at the Kentucky Derby: Rich Strike, the betting favorite that pays 80-1, hits

In one of the main surprises of recent years, the thoroughbred Rich Strikewith Venezuelan rider Sonny León, won this Saturday the 148th edition of kentucky derbyone of the Triple Crown classics of turf in the United States. Why the surprise? It was the last positioned in the bets and for that reason, the one that paid the biggest.

Rich Strike will not run the test. He entered the competition on Friday, through the window, after the Ethereal Road clearance. For that reason, he stood with a captivating 80-1 on the stakes, far from favorites Epicenter (4-1), Taiba (5-1) and Messier (6-1). He didn’t care too much: he took home the top prize of $ 1.86 million. And he did hand over the tickets in full to the bettors.

“We found out about it 30 seconds before Friday’s deadline. It put us in the race, and we always believed we had a chance,” said horse owner Rick Dawson.

debutants

Both León and the horse trainer, Eric Reed, competed for the first time in this emblematic race at Churchill Downs racecourse (Louisville, Kentucky), where this year the stands were filled again when restrictions were removed due to pandemic of Covid-19. .

Leon typically races on smaller railroads, such as in Ohio, where purses are modest. This time, he surpassed established riders like Joel Rosario of Epicenter and Mike Smith of Messier.

“I’m so happy, you don’t know how excited I am”Leon declares. “It was my first Kentucky Derby and we did it. It’s a dream come true.”

Reed, the winning trainer, lived through a tragedy five years ago, when nearly 20 horses were lost in a solid fire inside his training center in Lexington.

The race

Rich Strike remained at the back of the main pack for most of the race, but was able to carve space inside and find a clear path for a dazzling final sprint.

When Zandon and Epicenter, along with Dominican jockey Joel Rosario, seemed to be fighting for victory in the final set, Rich Strike preceded them from behind and sealed the victory in the final steps with a time of 2:02:61 to cover the mile and a quarter of the racetrack.

Epicenter, coached by Steve Asmussen, finished in second position and Zandon, ridden by Frenchman Flavien Prat and coached by Chad Brown, was third.

“I knew my horse and I knew he was ready for this race. I didn’t know if I was going to win but when we were in the race, in the end, I felt in my heart that it was hard,” Leon recalled.

“I was left behind and there was a lot of traffic, but I didn’t give up, I saw a hole and when I got to the last 70 yards I thought I had this race and I had to run more than ever,” he said. he explained.

The Rich Strike win was the biggest upset in terms of odds since 1913, when Donerail, 91-1, won this race, the first of three that make up the so-called Triple Crown of American horse racing.

Leon’s escape on the railroad is reminiscent of what Calvin Borel, who mounted Mine That Bird in 2009, did to provide another surprise.

Color fact: Rich Strike was acquired by Dawson, who races as RED TR-Racing, for $ 30,000 last fall after entering his former owner’s colt in a minor race.

Brad Kelley, the head of the Calumet farm, must have regretted that decision. Former owner Calumet has won a record eight Derbys, but not since 1968, when the Forward Pass was preceded by disqualification.

An undervalued classic

The Kentucky Derby was once again played under traditional conditions this Saturday by admitting a full 20 participants and the public. About 100,000 fans packed the stands after it was only allowed to reach 60% capacity last year and held behind closed doors in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The race was also held under the shadow of the scandal last year, when the winner, Medina Spirit, was eventually disqualified for failing a doping test.

The horse tested positive for betamethasone, a corticosteroid banned before a race, and died suddenly in December during training in California.

His coach, Bob Baffert, was suspended and banned from Churchill Downs for two years.

This is the third time in Derby history that a winner has been disqualified.

Triple Crown will continue in Preakness (Baltimore, Maryland) on May 21 and end at Belmont Stakes (New York) on June 11.

Source: AFP