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The Kentucky Derby never fails to disappoint, and this year’s winner entered with 80-1 odds to win the race after replacing D. Wayne Lukas’ Ethereal Road, who was a late scratch from the event on Friday.
Rich Strike, who is trained by Eric R. Reed and jockeyed by Sonny Leon, won the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. It marks Reed’s first career win in the Derby.
NBC Sports @NBCSports
An absolutely stunning upset!<br><br>Rich Strike WINS the <a href=”https://twitter.com/KentuckyDerby?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@KentuckyDerby</a>! <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/KyDerby?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#KyDerby</a> <a href=”https://t.co/2pVcVnPq2N”>pic.twitter.com/2pVcVnPq2N</a>
Kentucky Derby 2022 Payouts (Owner; Jockey)
WIN: Rich Strike (RED TR-Racing, Sonny Leon): $163.60, $74.20, $29.40
PLACE: Epicenter (Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC), Joel Rosario): N/A, $7.40. $5.20
SHOW: Zandon (Jeff Drown, Flavien Prat): N/A, N/A, $5.60
Full Leaderboard ($3M Purse)
- Rich Strike: $1.86M
- Epicenter: $600,000
- Zandon: $300,000
- Simplification: $150,000
- Mo Donegal: $90,000
- Barber Road
- Tawny Port
- Smile Happy
- Tiz the Bomb
- Zozos
- Classic Causeway
- Taiba
- Crown Pride
- Happy Jack
- Messier
- White Abarrio
- Charge It
- Cyberknife
- Pioneer of Medina
- Summer is Tomorrow
Rich Strike came out of nowhere to win the race, making a run on the inside of Epicenter and Zandon, who were stride-for-stride coming off the final turn. The colt’s victory marks the second-biggest upset in Kentucky Derby history.
Only Donerail, who won the race in 1913, had worse odds at 91-1.
NBC Sports @NBCSports
WHERE DID HE COME FROM!?<br><br>Rich Strike (80-1) comes down the stretch to score one of the biggest upset wins in <a href=”https://twitter.com/KentuckyDerby?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@KentuckyDerby</a> history. <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/KyDerby?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#KyDerby</a> <a href=”https://t.co/NPsYvPauVc”>pic.twitter.com/NPsYvPauVc</a>
NBC Sports @NBCSports
That feeling when you just WON THE KENTUCKY DERBY!<a href=”https://twitter.com/KentuckyDerby?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@KentuckyDerby</a> | <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/KyDerby?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#KyDerby</a> <a href=”https://t.co/ZEpwJyau6H”>pic.twitter.com/ZEpwJyau6H</a>
After the race, Reed was overjoyed while speaking with the NBC Sports broadcast crew.
“I fell down the paddock when he hit the wire. I about passed out,” Reed said. “I’m so happy, and this is something that is the reason everybody does this, cuz we’re not supposed to be here,” Reed said. “But I knew this horse loved the track, and he had been training so good all year. … Sonny Leon, they know who he is now.”
On Friday, when Reed was informed that Rich Strike would be racing in the Kentucky Derby, he couldn’t believe it, telling reporters, “They’re giving me CPR right now.” He also noted that Rich Strike “loves” the track at Churchill Downs.
“All week long, I was like, ‘He just gets better every day.’ He’s so happy right now,” Reed said. “It’s just a blessing to be able to run.”
The win is a particularly emotional one for Reed, who, at one point, didn’t think he would train again after losing 23 horses in a barn fire in 2016.
Before the Kentucky Derby, Rich Strike had not posted a win in 2022. The chestnut colt finished third at the Jeff Ruby Steaks Stakes in April, fourth at the John Battaglia Memorial Stakes in March and third in the Leonatus Stakes in January.
For Rich Strike to complete the Triple Crown, the horse must win at the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, Maryland, on May 21, and the Belmont Stakes on June 11 at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York.
Saturday’s race also marked just the sixth time legendary trainer Bob Baffert, who has entered 34 horses in the race since 1996, did not have a horse competing in the Kentucky Derby.
Baffert was banned from entering his horses in any races coordinated by Churchill Downs Inc. as punishment for 2021 Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit failing a post-race blood test. Medina Spirit tested positive for an anti-inflammatory steroid.
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