Rich Strike, the 80-1 Long Shot, Wins the Kentucky Derby in a Stunning Upset!
Well, folks, it didn’t take long to have an upset in the 2018 Kentucky Derby! The favorite, Apollo Blue, came up short today against an 80-1 long shot by the name of Rich Strike. People were talking about Apollo Blue coming into this year’s Kentucky Derby, but they certainly weren’t talking about Rich Strike. But after today’s win, it seems that these two horses are no longer long shots; instead, they are favorites to win the Triple Crown!
The perfect storm of winning
The race came down to two horses at its end: Tank’s Promise and Rich Strike. It was clear from early on that Tank’s Promise wasn’t going to be able to hold on to his lead. With fewer than 1/10 of a mile left in Saturday’s race, NBC announcer Tom Hammond could be heard saying Tank’s Promise is fading away. This is Rich Strike and War of Will.
Where did he come from?
It is rare for horses ranked as low as Rich Strike to win on that first Saturday of May. In fact, it had been over 75 years since such an improbable scenario was witnessed. This year’s field was one of the most competitive in recent memory. The favorite had never been beaten and sported a staggering 21-0 record going into today’s race. But no horse could have lived up to those expectations today, not even Mine That Bird did last year with his come from behind victory.
The lead horse was injured
Prior to his exit at Churchill Downs Saturday, everyone’s favorite horse American Pharaoh was running strong as always. But with one stride left before crossing the finish line to take first place in The 143rd Running of The Kentucky Derby–the 3 year old colt broke his lead leg and had to be put down.
Trailing horses got tangled up
He was right on their heels at every turn. So close to victory he could taste it. But at every other crucial moment during Saturday’s 139th running of horse racing’s most prestigious event, Keen Ice got pushed back by interference from other horses. It seemed cruel for trainer Kenny McPeek and jockey Jose Ortiz to be so tantalizingly close to winning Triple Crown glory only to see that dream be dashed by some nuisance from behind or beside them.
The jockey lost control
The race was supposed to be an easy win for Alpha Major. But halfway through, his jockey lost control of his mount and ended up finishing third. It was one of four horses that took a tumble during Thursday’s race. What happened? And did it make any difference in who won?
And there’s your winner...Rich Strike!
Let’s get something straight. The horse racing industry has long known about Rich Strike’s potential. He has good breeding and is owned by one of America’s most famous racehorse owners: Arthur Arroyo. But no one believed that he would be able to overcome his nerves—or that Arroyo could ever train him to win...until today.