Hot favourite American Pharoah overcame a three-wide trip
from his outside barrier to win the 141st running of the Kentucky
Derby before a record crowd of 170,513 fans at Churchill Downs on Saturday.
With the winners stablemate Dortmund setting a moderate pace
from Firing Line and American Pharoah, the three settled down to fight the race
out a long way from home.
As Firing Line gradually got the better of Dortmund, Victor Espinoza was
hard at work on the favourite to level up.
With the veteran Gary Stevens on top, Firing Line had
nothing left in the final furlong after giving his all as Espinoza edged American Pharoah to
the lead. Firing Line (Line Of David) finished second with the tiring Dortmund (Big Brown) hanging on gamely for third. (photo twitter)
It was the third Kentucky Derby win for Victor Espinoza, who
rode last year's Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes California Chrome.
"He's been very special horse from the day I first rode him,"
Espinoza said.
"He's tremendous, he has a lot of talent, he flows on the
track, he's just an unbelievable horse."
It was the fourth for trainer Bob Baffert who teamed up with
Espinoza in 2002 with War Emblem.
Baffert won his first Derby in 1997 with Silver Charm and with
Real Quiet the following year.
It was sweet redemption for owner Ahmed Zayat who had
finished second in the race three times in the last six years.
One of those was American Pharoah's sire Pioneer Of The Nile
who went down to Mine That Bird in 2009.
Zayat was also in the runner-up stall in 2011 with Nehro,
and in 2012 with Bodemeister.
Pioneer Of The Nile is a son of Empire Maker who finished
second in the 2003 Kentucky Derby while Empire Maker's sire Unbridled defeated
Summer Squall and Pleasant Tap in the 1990 Run To The Roses.
Last year's Eclipse Award winning Champion Two-Year-Old Colt,
American Pharoah was beaten on his career debut but has now won his past five
starts.
At two he won the Del Mar Futurity and FrontRunner Stakes
and this term added the Rebel Stakes the Arkansas Derby by eight lengths
ensuring he would be the popular pick at Churchill Downs.
A $300,000 buy back for Zayat at the 2013 Saratoga Yearling
sale, American Pharoah is out of Littleprincessemma who showed little ability
in two starts. A daughter of the Storm Cat stallion Yankee Gentlemen, Littleprincessemma
was a $250,000 yearling.
She is a half-sister to Grade II winner Storm Wolf (Stormin
Fever) and Grade III winner and Grade 1 placed Misty Rosestte (Stormin Fever).
American Pharoah is the third foal out of Littleprincessemma
who foaled a brother to the Derby winner earlier this year.
