Mon, 05/09/2022 - 12:50

Rich Strike's Kentucky Derby upset greater than sire Keen Ice's Travers

Barbara Livingston
Rich Strike is from Keen Ice's first crop and is his first stakes winner in the United States, excluding Puerto Rico.

Keen Ice will forever be remembered for an upset victory, as he ran down Triple Crown hero American Pharoah to win the 2015 Travers Stakes, stunning an enthusiastic crowd at Saratoga as he returned $34 for the win.

Rich Strike said, ‘Dad, hold my mint julep.’

Rich Strike, from the first crop of Calumet Farm stallion Keen Ice, pulled off the second-biggest upset in Kentucky Derby history on Saturday evening at Churchill Downs, shocking a full house as he overhauled favored Epicenter in the final stages and returning $163.60.

Sun, 05/08/2022 - 16:23

Rich Strike headed to Preakness, but much of Derby field won't join him

Barbara D. Livingston
Jockey Sonny Leon reacts as Rich Strike wins the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Saturday.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Rich Strike, the improbable winner of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, headed home to Lexington on Sunday from Churchill Downs, and will spend a bit more than a week at trainer Eric Reed’s private training center, Mercury Equine, before embarking on the next step of his journey, the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 21.

Sun, 05/08/2022 - 14:37

Asmussen: No Derby victory, but still great weekend

Jim Leuenberger
Jackie's Warrior (3) got a 105 Beyer Speed Figure for his triumph in the Churchill Down Stakes on Saturday.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Although he just missed winning the Kentucky Derby with Epicenter, marking the third time he’s finished second in the Derby, trainer Steve Asmussen still had himself a terrific two days at Churchill Downs. He recorded two Grade 1 victories, with Pauline’s Pearl in the La Troienne on Friday and with male sprint champ Jackie’s Warrior in the Churchill Downs on Saturday.

As with Epicenter, both Jackie’s Warrior and Pauline’s Pearl were ridden by Joel Rosario.

Sun, 05/08/2022 - 10:40

Kentucky Derby, day after: an 'absolute miracle' Rich Strike trainer Eric Reed says

Barbara D. Livingston
Rich Strike and groom Jerry Dixon Jr. spend a moment together before boarding a van back to training base.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — If veteran trainer Eric Reed had not been saddling his first Kentucky Derby starter on Saturday, “I promise you I would have been on the lake fishing.” 

Instead, Reed landed the big one on Saturday at Churchill Downs, as Rich Strike went from the Derby also-eligible list to the winner’s circle draped in roses as the second-biggest upset winner in race history. 

The morning after the improbable victory that Reed called “an absolute miracle,” the trainer was affably adjusting to the intense attention now centering on his barn. 

Sat, 05/07/2022 - 20:54

Kentucky Derby 2022: Stretch run an all-too-familiar ending for Brown

Barbara D. Livingston
Zandon (from left), Epicenter, and Rich Strike close in on the wire in the Kentucky Derby.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – As the field turned into the stretch, trainer Chad Brown had every right to believe he was finally going to get his first Kentucky Derby victory late Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs, as his Blue Grass winner Zandon loomed up in perfect striking position just behind the favored Epicenter. It was a scenario he had experienced twice before, with Normandy Invasion in 2013 and again with Good Magic five years later, both of whom also appeared poised to win the Derby a quarter-mile from the wire.

Sat, 05/07/2022 - 20:29

Asmussen on Derby: 'Want to win it, meant to win it, didn't win it'

Justin N. Lane
Rich Strike (21) passes Epicenter (3) late in the Kentucky Derby en route to a three-quarter-length victory on Saturday.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Steve Asmussen was too much in shock to be disappointed.

“When they tell me this happened tomorrow, I’m still going to go ‘Are you sure?’ ” Asmussen, the trainer of Kentucky Derby runner-up Epicenter, said. “Really? Like, that’s what happened?"

What happened was Epicenter, the Kentucky Derby favorite, was passed to his inside by Rich Strike, at 80.80-1 the longest shot on the board in Saturday’s 148th Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs, and was beaten three-quarters of a length. He finished that same margin in front of Zandon.

Sat, 05/07/2022 - 19:33

Kentucky Derby: Rich Strike, 80-1, hits the big one

Barbara D. Livingston
Churchill Downs was able to hold the 2022 Kentucky Derby without attendance restrictions for the first time since 2019.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – It’s hard to get about 150,000 people to go from a full-throated roar to library-like quiet. But for a smattering of those who perhaps play blackjack and like the number 21, or, especially, those connected with a heretofore unknown colt named Rich Strike, Churchill Downs, back with a full house after two years of racing under restrictions, fell into mostly stunned silence following the 148th Kentucky Derby on Saturday. A return to normal? Not on the racetrack.

Sat, 05/07/2022 - 19:14

Kentucky Derby 2022 results and payouts

Emily Shields
The Kentucky Derby will be run for the 148th time on Saturday at Churchill Downs.

21   Rich Strike – $163.60 / $74.20 / $29.40 

3   Epicenter – $7.40 / $5.20

10   Zandon – $5.60 

13   Simplification

1   Mo Donegal

$2 Exacta (21-3) – $4,101.20

50-cent Trifecta (21-3-10) – $7,435.35

$1 Superfecta (21-3-10-13-1) – $321,500.10

$2 Double (10/21) – $2,729.80

50-cent pick three (3/10/21) – $1,612.20

50-cent pick four (9/3,8/10/21) – $25,834.75

50-cent pick five (5/9/3,8/10/21) – $247,215.65

20-cent pick six (5,7/5/9/3,9/10/21) – $161,630.86

Sat, 05/07/2022 - 15:39

Winners coming from all over in early Kentucky Derby Day races

Jim Leuenberger
Speak of the Devil (left) pounces on stablemate In Italian coming off the final turn on her way to winning the Distaff Turf Mile.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – We’re eight races into this Kentucky Derby card and have just seen Obligatory blast last to first to win the Derby City Distaff, her first Grade 1.  

Sat, 05/07/2022 - 09:19

Kentucky Derby 2022: Saez goes for Oaks-Derby sweep; early scratches on card

Emily Shields
Charge It trains on May 2 at Churchill Downs.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Fresh off his victory aboard Secret Oath in the Kentucky Oaks, jockey Luis Saez was set on Saturday at Churchill Downs to try and sweep both that race and the Kentucky Derby, a feat that has been accomplished twice in the past 12 years, but officially just once.