The 2021 Kentucky Derby came and went and wouldn’t you know it? Saturday’s race resembled the 2020 Run for the Roses that happened just eight months ago. The greatest horse racing trainer in U.S. history notched a record seventh Kentucky Derby victory when Medina Spirit crossed the finish line first. Check out a review of Medina Spirit’s performance along with reviews of the three horses that finished right behind the 2021 Kentucky Derby winner.
Kentucky Derby: Top 4 Finishers Review
2021 Kentucky Derby
- When: Saturday, May 1, 2021
- Where: Churchill Downs, Louisville, KY
First: Medina Spirit
Trainer Bob Baffert didn’t expect much from his lone Kentucky Derby entrant. Entering March, Baffert had the strongest hand in the race. Life Is Good was the unquestioned leader of the division while Concert Tour was second-choice.
Medina Spirit supposedly didn’t have the breeding or speed to win on the First Saturday in May. How did Baffert’s third-string three-year-old win the world’s most famous horse race?
Rock Your World got slammed from both sides and ended up losing precious lengths. Midnight Bourbon didn’t go for the front and neither did Hot Rod Charlie. Jockey Johnny Velasquez, noticing that nobody wanted the lead, hustled Medina Spirit to the front.
The Baffert runner coasted, much like Authentic, and easily held off Mandaloun and Hot Rod Charlie in the stretch. Luck had something to do with it, yes, but the truth is that Johnny V. was brave when no other jockey in the race was.
Second: Mandaloun
Brad Cox trained Mandaloun ran great to finish second. After the horrendous performance in the Louisiana Derby, some didn’t believe the Juddmonte owned horse had any shot.
Mandaloun made a valiant effort to catch Medina Spirit. But the presser didn’t get the right set up. Expect Cox to instruct the jockey to send Mandaloun if the horse runs in the Preakness. Pressuring Medina Spirit may be the only way to beat the Baffert runner.
Third: Hot Rod Charlie
As they turned for home, the Doug O’Neil trained runner looked like the winner. Hot Rod Charlie has a nice turn of foot and he appeared to be motoring home the best. But Medina Spirit wouldn’t be denied.
Also, the winner got away with a soft second-quarter, which allowed Medina Spirit to coast to the finish line. Like Cox, expect O’Neil to tell his jockey to pressure the Derby winner from the start if Hot Rod runs in the Preakness.
Fourth: Essential Quality
Essential Quality may have run the second-best race. The Derby favorite had no choice but to go wide around both turns. Try as he might, the Tapit sired runner couldn’t kick it up a notch to get past Hot Rod, Mandaloun, or Medina Spirit.
Brad Cox may send Essential Quality to the bench for the Preakness. Tapit sired horses usually grow from the first Saturday in May to the first Saturday in June, the traditional day thoroughbred racing runs the Belmont Stakes.
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2019 Kentucky Derby Recap
Previous Betting News
With some controversy, the 2019 Kentucky Derby took place this past Saturday on May 4. Check out a recap of what happened in the Run for the Roses! And be sure to check out the latest Preakness Stakes odds now that the Derby is over.
2019 Kentucky Derby Recap
Maximum Security Takes the Lead from the Get Go
As soon as the gates opened, horse racing fans knew that Florida Derby winner Maximum Security meant business. The New Year’s Day sired 3-year-old took the lead from the outset, running the first quarter-mile in 22.5.
Incident Around the Turn
Once on the lead, jockey Luis Saez had him in cruise control. Maximum Security never appeared to be in any danger of not winning, but then something crazy happened around the turn. Saez, sitting chilly aboard his horse, felt Maximum Security suddenly change lanes. He went about 3 lanes to the right and appeared to impede War of Will’s momentum.
To evade Maximum Security, War of Will hit Long Range Toddy who hit Bode Express. All three of those horses faded in the stretch.
Maximum Security Wins Easily
In the stretch, Maximum Security pulled away for an easy victory. The second place finisher, Country House, ran unimpeded to the finish line to get up for second while the third place finisher, Code of Honor, ran up the rail to finish third.
Maximum Security’s win was so obvious that everyone believed the only question left was whether the 9/2 second choice Derby shot could go on to win the Triple Crown. However, that wasn’t the case.
Country House Jockey Flavien Prat Lodges Objection
Country House’s jockey, Flavien Prat, lodged an objection. Although he wasn’t involved in the incident around the turn, Prat and his mount had finished second. Prat wasn’t the only jockey that objected. So did Jon Court who had been aboard Long Range Toddy. Tyler Gaffalione aboard War of Will didn’t lodge an objection.
When jockey’s lodge objections they ask stewards in the replay booth to take another look at the race. That’s what happened in the Kentucky Derby on Saturday. Often, stewards will flash the inquiry sign if they’ve seen anything in the race that requires a second look.
In this case, the stewards didn’t do that. But, because two jockey had lodged objections, they had to look at the race to determine if a change was required.
After 18 Minutes, Maximum Security Goes Down, Country House Goes Up
It took the stewards a while to make a final decision. When they had finally ruled, those who thought they had an easy Derby winner in Maximum Security had to tear up their tickets while those who had put a few bucks on 65/1 shot Country House jumped for joy.
The stewards ruled that Maximum Security had interfered with War of Will, causing a chain reaction that could have led to disaster. Even though disaster hadn’t struck, the stewards said that Maximum Security’s actions required them to take him down and place him seventeenth, behind Long Range Toddy who ended up eighteenth.
That moved Country House up to the winner’s circle, Code of Honor moved up to second, and Tacitus moved up to third. See below for the final results and payouts for the 2019 Kentucky Derby.
Kentucky Derby | Grade I race
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Race information
| Race type | Thoroughbred |
|---|---|
| Distance | 1+1⁄4 miles (10 furlongs; 2 km) |
| Record | 1:59.40, Secretariat (1973,1+1⁄4 miles) 2:34.50, Spokane (1889,1+1⁄2 miles) |
| Surface | Dirt |
| Track |
Left-handed |
| Qualification | 3-year-old |
| Weight | Colt/Gelding: 126 lbs (57.2 kg) Filly: 121 lb (55 kg) |
| Purse | US$3 million 1st: $1,860,000 |
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