Rich Strike overcame 80-1 odds Saturday to win the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby, the second biggest upset in the race’s storied history.
As favorite Epicenter and Zandon dueled down the stretch, Rich Strike — piloted by Sonny Leon and trained by Eric R. Reed — seemingly came out of nowhere i. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .n the race’s final strides and scored the massive upset.
Rich Strike was entered only after Ethereal Road was declared out of the race Friday morning. The long-shot has only raced seven times previously.
Rich Strike now has two more races for a chance to complete one of the great achievements in American sports, the Triple Crown.
The chestnut colt earned the second biggest upset in the race’s storied history, bested only by Donerail win in 1913 against 91-1 odds.
“This is the most unbelievable day ever,” said owner Richard Dawson of Red TR-Racing, LLC.
Reed, the trainer, said that even though the colt appeared to be improving with each race, the finish surprised him.
“I fell down the paddock when he hit the wire,” he said. ” … We’re not supposed to be here.”