A 50-1 long shot has won the Kentucky Derby, the first jewel in U.S. horse racing's Triple Crown. Giacomo sprinted away from a field of 20 at the end of Saturday's two-kilometer race.
With journeyman jockey Mike Smith aboard, Giacomo sprinted away at the finish line from "Closing Argument" and "Afleet Alex." Trained by John Sheriffs and owned by Jerome Moss, the founder of A&M records, Giacomo was listed at 50-1 odds.
"Coming down to the finish, Closing Argument with a short lead. Giacomo. Afleet Alex. It's a three-horse photo finish! And on the wire, it's Giacomo who has won the 131st Kentucky Derby!"
The favorite, "Bellamy Road", owned by New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, faded and did not finish in the money. The wild finish produced the second highest payoff in Kentucky Derby history, with Giacomo paying $102.60 on a $2 bet.
The Kentucky Derby is the first jewel of U.S. horse racing's Triple Crown races. The next leg - the Preakness - is in two weeks in Baltimore, Maryland. The third race - the Belmont Stakes - is scheduled for June 11 in New York. No horse has won all three races since "Affirmed" in 1978.