Pioneerof the Nile, carrying Zayat Stables’s turquoise and gold colors to the lead in upper stretch of the Kentucky Derby until Mine That Bird, covered in mud, scoots by on the rail.

Nehro, striking the lead briefly but relegated to battling on for second as Animal Kingdom surges down the center of the Churchill Downs track.
Bodemeister, spurting clear to extend his lead to three lengths in upper stretch before I’ll Have Another collars him nearing the finish line in the shadow of the Twin Spires.

As Kentucky Derbies go, the 141st edition last Saturday was a satisfying one on several counts, whether or not you cashed a ticket. (I did not.)

First, it was an exceptionally clean race. With the exception of Materiality (broke slow, shuffled back to 17th, closed belatedly for sixth), no one had a particularly tough trip. The first four finishers had every chance to win, and American Pharoah was simply a little bit better than Firing Line, Dortmund, and Frosted.

I settled down on Saturday night and watched with a blank stare as the images flashed across the TV screen. The chyron at the bottom of the screen posted updates on the big fight in Las Vegas between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao – a boxing match sure to end in a decision, unlike the knockout I experienced during the day at Churchill Downs.

Chief steward Barbara Borden said Wednesday that the Churchill Downs stewards intend to further scrutinize replays of the Kentucky Derby in response to questions about jockey Victor Espinoza having used his whip 32 times in urging American Pharoah to victory.

Whereas some other states have rules that limit the number of times the whip can be used, “there is not a maximum number” in Kentucky, said Borden. “Obviously, overt abuse would be something that would constitute us considering action, but clearly this is a discretionary issue.”

NBC Sports reported that its coverage of the Kentucky Derby averaged 16 million viewers, up 4 percent from 15.3 million who viewed California Chrome last year. According to final data provided by The Nielsen Company, the telecast posted a 9.6 national rating with a share of 23, up from 9.4 and 22 last year.

This marked the fourth time since 2009 that average viewership reached or topped 16 million. Those figures represented the most viewers since 1989, when 18.5 million tuned in.

Host city Louisville, Ky., topped the metered markets with a 35.0 rating and 65 share.

Grade 1, $2,178,800 Kentucky Derby, 1 1/4 miles, Churchill Downs, May 2, 2015

Winner: American Pharoah

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Jockey: Victor Espinoza

Owner: Zayat Stables, LLC

Beyer Speed Figure: 105

Mubtaahij, the eighth-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby, will ship to New York within the next couple weeks to be pointed to a start in the Belmont Stakes.

The eight-length winner of the United Arab Emirates Derby, Mubtaahij came out of his race Saturday in good condition, according to Trevor Brown, assistant to trainer Mike de Kock, and will try again in the third leg of the Triple Crown after failing to reproduce the form that won the United Arab Emirates Derby by eight lengths.

Racing nationwide may be in a slump, but the Kentucky Derby keeps getting bigger.

This year’s Kentucky Derby on Saturday at Churchill Downs broke records in all categories other than on-track handle, the first break-out performance for the race since 2012. Away from the track, the Derby broadcast ratings soared, even on a day when most of the U.S. was bathed in good weather.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Three times before for owner Ahmed Zayat, his Kentucky Derby dream ended in the long homestretch at Churchill Downs. On Saturday, he didn’t awaken until he got to the finish line.

Second in three previous Derbies, all since 2009, Zayat finally got a chance to experience what he had dreamt about, as American Pharoah lived up to his favoritism by capturing the 141st Derby before a record crowd of 170,513 on a warm, sunny day beneath the storied twin spires.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The horses for the 141st Kentucky Derby had left the paddock and were on their way to the track. Bob Baffert stayed behind and walked around, a bundle of nervous energy. The song “My Old Kentucky Home” came over the loudspeaker.

“I hear this song, I think, ‘It’s almost over,’ ” Baffert said. “My job is done.”

He was asked, after three Kentucky Derby victories and all he’s accomplished in the sport, if he still gets nervous for a big race.