LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Brilliant but untested, American Pharoah was put to a fight in the Kentucky Derby and won.
Sent off as the 5-2 favorite by the record crowd of 170,513, the brown colt rallied in the stretch to beat Firing Line by a length Saturday and deliver trainer Bob Baffert’s fourth Derby win and first since 2002.
PHOTOS:
“It’s a fantasy moment for us,” said a joyous Baffert, surrounded by his three older sons and his youngest, 10-year-old Bode, who jumped up and down and waved his arms in celebration.
Baffert also saddled third-place Dortmund, the other part of his lethal 1-2 punch in the 141st Derby. Firing Line finished second.
“We were ready to rumble,” Baffert said.
Dortmund set a leisurely pace with Firing Line tracking him closely in second. American Pharoah sat comfortably in third down the backstretch.
That trio made it a three-horse race in the stretch, with none of the closers able to make up ground. American Pharoah angled outside and fought off a persistent Firing Line as Dortmund tired along the rail.
Victor Espinoza won his second consecutive Derby a year after being aboard California Chrome, and third overall.
“He’s been a special horse since I first rode him,” Espinoza said. “I feel like the luckiest Mexican on Earth.”
American Pharoah ran 1 1/4 miles in 2:03.02.
Baffert tied D. Wayne Lukas and Herbert “Derby Dick” Thompson for second on the career win list.
American Pharoah paid $7.80, $5.80, $4.20.
Firing Line returned $8.40 and $5.40, while Dortmund was another two lengths back in third and paid $4.20 to show.
Owner Ahmed Zayat accepted the gold winner’s trophy — his first after a trio of second-place finishes.
American Pharoah missed his first big test last year when he was scratched from the Breeders’ Cup with an injury. He returned with two easy wins this year against lesser competition. Dortmund and several other Derby contenders had beaten much tougher fields, raising questions about whether American Pharoah could mix it up in a 20-horse field.
Kentucky Derby winners
2015 — American Pharoah
2014 — California Chrome
2013 — Orb
2012 — I’ll Have Another
2011 — Animal Kingdom
2010 — Super Saver
2009 — Mine That Bird
2008 — Big Brown
2007 — Street Sense
2006 — Barbaro
2005 — Giacomo
2004 — Smarty Jones
2003 — Funny Cide
2002 — War Emblem
2001 — Monarchos
2000 — Fusaichi Pegasus
1999 — Charismatic
1998 — Real Quiet
1997 — Silver Charm
1996 — Grindstone
1995 — Thunder Gulch
1994 — Go for Gin
1993 — Sea Hero
1992 — Lil E. Tee
1991 — Strike the Gold
1990 — Unbridled
1989 — Sunday Silence
1988 — Winning Colors
1987 — Alysheba
1986 — Ferdinand
1985 — Spend A Buck
1984 — Swale
1983 — Sunny’s Halo
1982 — Gato Del Sol
1981 — Pleasant Colony
1980 — Genuine Risk
1979 — Spectacular Bid
1978 — Affirmed
1977 — Seattle Slew
1976 — Bold Forbes
1975 — Foolish Pleasure
1974 — Cannonade
1973 — Secretariat
1972 — Riva Ridge
1971 — Canonero II
1970 — Dust Commander
1969 — Majestic Prince
1968 — Forward Pass
1967 — Proud Clarion
1966 — Kauai King
1965 — Lucky Debonair
1964 — Northern Dancer
1963 — Chateaugay
1962 — Decidedly
1961 — Carry Back
1960 — Venetian Way
1959 — Tomy Lee
1958 — Tim Tam
1957 — Iron Liege
1956 — Needles
1955 — Swaps
1954 — Determine
1953 — Dark Star
1952 — Hill Gail
1951 — Count Turf
1950 — Middleground
1949 — Ponder
1948 — Citation
1947 — Jet Pilot
1946 — Assault
1945 — Hoop, Jr.
1944 — Pensive
1943 — Count Fleet
1942 — Shut Out
1941 — Whirlaway
1940 — Gallahadion
1939 — Johnstown
1938 — Lawrin
1937 — War Admiral
1936 — Bold Venture
1935 — Omaha
1934 — Cavalcade
1933 — Brokers Tip
1932 — Burgoo King
1931 — Twenty Grand
1930 — Gallant Fox
1929 — Clyde Van Dusen
1928 — Reigh Count
1927 — Whiskery
1926 — Bubbling Over
1925 — Flying Ebony
1924 — Black Gold
1923 — Zev
1922 — Morvich
1921 — Behave Yourself
1920 — Paul Jones
1919 — Sir Barton
1918 — Exterminator
1917 — Omar Khayyam
1916 — George Smith
1915 — Regret
1914 — Old Rosebud
1913 — Donerail
1912 — Worth
1911 — Meridan
1910 — Donau
1909 — Wintergreen
1908 — Stone Street
1907 — Pink Star
1906 — Sir Huon
1905 — Agile
1904 — Elwood
1903 — Judge Himes
1902 — Alan-a-Dale
1901 — His Eminence
1900 — Lieut. Gibson
1899 — Manuel
1898 — Plaudit
1897 — Typhoon II
1896 — Ben Brush
1895 — Halma
1894 — Chant
1893 — Lookout
1892 — Azra
1891 — Kingman
1890 — Riley
1889 — Spokane
1888 — MacBeth II
1887 — Montrose
1886 — Ben Ali
1885 — Joe Cotton
1884 — Buchanan
1883 — Leonatus
1882 — Apollo
1881 — Hindoo
1880 — Fonso
1879 — Lord Murphy
1878 — Day Star
1877 — Baden Baden
1876 — Vagrant
1875 — Aristides
By The Associated Press
