Jeff Roberson/Associated PressAuthentic won the 146th running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, upsetting heavy favorite Tiz the Law.
It was one of the better editions of the race in recent memory, and below we've reviewed all the key information, including the results, payouts and top comments from after the event.
Results and Payouts
1. Authentic: $18.80 to win, $6 to place and $5 to show.
2. Tiz the Law (1¼ lengths): $3.40 to place and $3.20 to show.
3. Mr. Big News (3¼ lengths): $16.80 to show.
4. Honor A. P. (5 lengths)
5. Max Player (7 lengths)
6. Storm the Court (9 lengths)
7. Enforceable (10¼ lengths)
8. Ny Traffic (13¾ lengths)
9. Necker Island (14¾ lengths)
10. Major Fed (15¾ lengths)
11. Sole Volante (16¾ lengths)
12. Winning Impression (21½ lengths)
13. Money Moves (22¼ lengths)
14. Attachment Rate (24 lengths)
15. South Bend (25¾ lengths)
16. Finnick the Fierce (scratch)
17. King Guillermo (scratch)
18. Thousand Words (scratch)
$2 Exacta: $41
$1 Trifecta: $1,311.80
$1 Superfecta: $7,925.80
The Response
Well, that was a bit of a surprise, huh?
Authentic was among the favorites, but Tiz the Law still seemed far and away the most likely winner. And he had a good run, staying neck-and-neck with Authentic for much of the race. But Authentic had the final kick, and trainer Bob Baffert had his sixth Kentucky Derby champion.
"I've had some great Derby rides, but what that guy did," Baffert said about jockey John Velazquez, per ESPN. "Johnny V. gave them the most incredible ride. The training was lights-out. He was fresh. He's a good horse. He's our No. 1 pick from the beginning, and here we are. The greatest race in the world, and I feel very blessed and fortunate."
Velazquez, meanwhile, told reporters the race was all about Authentic's performance:
"I give credit to the horse, really. If you don't have the horse underneath you, you can't win. We planned really well. I told Bob even that when we get to the lead, I'm not going into the rail. I wanted to see everybody outside of me. I was hoping that my horse responded to what I wanted him to do and Bob said to make sure you go left-handed (with the whip). It's a great feeling to have when you ask the horse for more and he gives you everything he can."
This was a performance worth remembering. Authentic's time of 2:00.61 was the seventh fastest in the history of the race. He was the first wire-to-wire winner since 2002, when War Emblem pulled off the feat. And he knocked off an incredibly talented and hyped horse in Tiz the Law, whose 3-5 odds made him the largest favorite in 31 years.
NBC Sports Bet @NBCSportsBetno one: Authentic bettors: https://t.co/NfyPNX9qM5
br_betting @br_bettingTiz The Law bettors rn https://t.co/6sGiefETVD
"Tiz has been able to pass horses all year and today he ran into one he couldn't get by," the horse's owner, Jack Knowlton, told ESPN. "Credit Authentic. He came from the far outside and managed to get to the lead and just ran a great race. No shame on our part."
Authentic was so good he even went full diva after the race, and everyone brushed themselves off and continued with the celebration:
Matt Stone @mattstonephotogThat’s so 2020: #kyderby winner Authentic knocks down his trainer Bob Baffert as well as another man in the Winner’s Circle after knocking off favorite Tiz the Law. https://t.co/C9Fx3f05YD
"He spun around, and he was like a bowling ball. He just spun us all around,'' Baffert said. "The turf course is pretty soft here, so it wasn't too bad. I was probably more embarrassed than anything when I hit the ground."
A small price to pay for yet another Derby triumph.
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