Jockey Sonny Leon reacts as Rich Strike wins the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Saturday.
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
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Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Jockey Sonny Leon reacts as Rich Strike wins the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Saturday.
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Rich Strike, who went in an 80-1 shot, is the winner of the 148th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, the first stop of the 2022 Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing. His win is the second largest upset in Derby history.
Going into the race, Taiba and Epicenter were co-favorites to win, with 5-1 and 4-1 odds, respectively. And many experts had also predicted a win for Zandon, with 6-1 odds.
Nobody had anticipated a win from Rich Strike and his jockey, Sonny Leon, who was making his first-ever Kentucky Derby appearance. Leon waited until the end of the race to make his move, when he overtook both Epicenter and Zandon in the final leg.
Rich Strike brought home the winner’s purse of $1.86 million, while Epicenter was awarded $600,000 in 2nd and $300,000 for Zandon in 3rd.
Rich Strike’s upset is the second largest in Kentucky Derby history, second only to a horse named Donerail in 1913, who overcame 91.45-1 odds.
Twenty horses competed in what is often described as “the most exciting two minutes in sports,” which is about how long it takes competitors to complete the 1 ¼-mile circuit.
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