The Kentucky Derby
The 149th Annual Derby at Churchill Downs
Yesterday was the running of the 149th annual Kentucky Derby! The Kentucky Derby is an annual horse race held in Louisville, Kentucky. My family actually got to visit Louisville and Churchill Downs (where the race is held) just a few weeks ago, which made the Kentucky Derby even more exciting (I wrote about our visit to Churchill Downs here)! The Kentucky Derby determines which 3-year-old thoroughbred is the fastest racehorse over a distance of 1 1/4 miles. Even though the race is only about 2 minutes long, it is often referred to as the “Most exciting two minutes in sports.” Not to mention that the Kentucky Derby is a HUGE event with food, drinks, partying, and of course, tons of celebrities (Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Peyton Manning were all present at this Kentucky Derby). It is also a huge betting event, with many Americans putting money on the horse they think is going to win the roses. Going into the race, Angel of Empires was the favorite with betting odds of 4:1, but as with most Kentucky Derby races, it is pretty unpredictable and things get exciting…
At the beginning of the race, Verifying, Kingsbarns, and Reincarnate take the lead. They hold their position for a good portion of the race until Two Phil’s passes the leaders with less than a minute left in the race and takes first position, while Verifying falls out of the top 3. Two Phil’s, Kingbarns, and Hit Show are in the top 3 positions with not much left in the race. Suddenly, Mage comes from the middle of the pack and speeds up to Two Phil’s as they approach the final stretch. Two Phil’s and Mage fight for the lead and finally, Mage takes the lead from Two Phil’s! Just as the horses are approaching the finish, Angel of Empires speeds up in third and suddenly catches up with Two Phil’s and Mage. It comes down to the wire with Mage, Two Phil’s, and Angel of Empires as Mage crosses the finish line with a time of 2.01:57! Two Phil’s comes in second and Angel of Empires finishes in third.
Mage won the 149th Kentucky Derby! This was pretty unexpected for two reasons: 1) Mage’s odds were only 16:1 which isn’t super great and 2) Mage’s jockey, Javier Castellano, had raced in 15 Kentucky Derby races before this one and had not won a single title! Defying the odds, though, Mage and Castellano win the 2023 Kentucky Derby! Castellano, being from Venezuela, says this win is big for Venezuela. We will see if Mage goes on to win either of the other two big races: the Preakness (May 20) or the Belmont Stakes (June 10). He could even win the Triple Crown (meaning that Mage wins the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the Belmont Stakes), but this is very unlikely! One thing is for sure, Castellano and Mage had a terrific comeback and a well-deserved win last night at the 149th Kentucky Derby!