If the name fits…
Rich Strike, an 80-1 longshot, won the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby Saturday evening. In doing so, he collected a purse payout of $1.86 million.
If the name doesn’t ring any bells, it shouldn’t. The horse wasn’t even supposed to run, but an injury to Ethereal Road forced its hand.
Rich Strike, in 17th place in the final turn, began accelerating through the pack—cutting to the inside down the final stretch. The favorites Epicenter (second) and Zandon (third) battled as Rich Strike dashed to victory.
Rich Strike’s owner, Rick Dawson, found out the horse would be running about 30 seconds prior to Friday morning’s entry deadline.
“We always felt if we could just get in, we’d have a shot,” Dawson said. “We proved it today.”
The victory was the greatest odds upset since 1913, when 91-1 longshot Donerail won.
