Handle on the Kentucky Derby this year dipped to its lowest level since 2011, and the overnight television rating slipped to its lowest point since 2012, a surprising show of weakness rooted somewhat in the crash of a popular account-wagering site and, perhaps, the cathartic effect of last year’s successful Triple Crown bid.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – What’s the first word that comes to mind when it comes to the team of Nyquist and jockey Mario Gutierrez? Perfection!
Gutierrez is undefeated in eight starts aboard Nyquist after putting up a textbook ride in guiding the undefeated, reigning juvenile male champion to a popular victory in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday at Churchill Downs. The win was the second in as many tries for Gutierrez in America’s most prestigious horse race. In 2012, he rode I’ll Have Another to victory for the same connections, owner Paul Reddam and trainer Doug O’Neill.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – If trainer Keith Desormeaux was disappointed about coming up 1 1/4 lengths short of winning the Kentucky Derby in his first try, it certainly was hard to tell.
“I don’t know how I could feel any better if I had won,” Desormeaux said.
It took the 49-year-old Desormeaux 25 years to get to the Kentucky Derby, and his horse ran too well to be upset. A bit of traffic 3 1/2 furlongs from the wire could have meant the difference between winning and losing. In the end, Exaggerator finished second to Nyquist, who remained unbeaten in eight starts.
Here are the payoffs from the 142nd Kentucky Derby:
Nyquist paid $6.60, $4.80, and $3.60. Exaggerator paid $5.40 and $4.20. Gun Runner paid $6 to show.
The $1 double (8-13) paid $37.80.
The $1 Super High Five (13-11-5-14-2) paid $5,794.50.
The $2 exacta (13-11) paid $30.60.
The $2 trifecta (13-11-5) paid $173.40.
The 50-cent pick three (6-8-13) paid $226.50. The 6-1-13 pick three (#1 Gran Tito was a late scratch in race 11) paid $27.30.
The 50-cent pick four (9-6-8-13) paid $5,723.80.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Nyquist sped clear turning for home and finished clear of a fast-closing Exaggerator in winning the 142nd running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday at Churchill Downs.
Nyquist, the 2-1 favorite, remained unbeaten in eight career starts in becoming the second Derby winner for the team of owner Paul Reddam, trainer Doug O’Neill, and jockey Mario Gutierrez, who won the 2012 Derby with I’ll Have Another.
The winner paid $6.60 as the fourth straight winning favorite in the Derby.
The following is a list of DRF resources and content related to the Kentucky Derby card at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 7.
With huge fields over the final four races Saturday at Churchill, the late pick four offers the chance for a blow-up payoff. Here is a look at the sequence, which begins with the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic, race 11, and finishes with a maiden race at 1 1/8 miles, and a TicketMaker play follows the text.
An important note: Keep an eye on the forecast. There is a chance of scattered storms in the late afternoon and early evening.
Race 11, Woodford Reserve
Kentucky Derby Day is annually one of the most anticipated wagering days on a horseplayer's calendar. Full fields with relatively evenly matched horses present the horseplayer with numerous wagering opportunities. Of all the wagers that are offered on Derby Saturday, the pick five may be the best – a wager that concludes with the 142nd running of the Kentucky Derby.
RACE 8 – HUMANA DISTAFF
Wagering and attendance on Friday at Churchill Downs were records for a Kentucky Oaks Day, the second straight year in which the standards fell.
Helped by mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the low 70s, attendance was 124,589, slightly higher than the reported attendance last year of 123,589, when weather conditions were nearly similar. All-sources wagering was $49.0 million, up 6 percent over last year’s record all-sources handle of $46.1 million. However, this year Churchill held 13 races on the Oaks card, one more than last year.
Cathryn Sophia’s victory in the Kentucky Oaks as the 4.70-1 second choice kept the will-pays for the Oaks-Derby double within a moderate range. The lowest payoff for a $1 wager would be $29.40 when paired with early Derby favorite Nyquist. The highest would be $817 if Trojan Nation wins.
