Some Great Kentucky Derby Finishes Since 2000
Saturday is the 150th Kentucky Derby. The fastest two minutes in sports! A sport that most Americans know nothing about, but you can bet they’ll be locked in Saturday evening for the Run for the Roses. Some will be watching with wagers on the line, while others tune in strictly to see if there is a chance at a Triple Crown winner.
Throughout the history of the Triple Crown we’ve seen some small eras with multiple triple crown winners, but some massive gaps without one. From 1930-1948 there were seven triple crown winners. That was followed by an enormous gap from ’49-’72, before Secretariat broke through to win all three races, including a Belmont win that looked like he was a Nascar against your mom’s wood paneled station wagon. After Secretariat, Seattle Slew and Affirmed won in 1977 & 78. Then for 36 years no horse could get the trifecta. 36 years! 1979 until 2015. A generation plus! Finally in 2015 American Pharaoh broke through shortly followed by Justify three years later. Have we once again entered into a lull in triple crown winners? It’s been five years, and not a single horse has won more than one of the three legs.
Whether we are in a lull or not, we’ve been given some amazing stretch runs at the Kentucky Derby since 2000. Even some that eventually led to heartbreak. The closest horse to ALMOST win the crown, Smarty Jones, became a typical Philadelphia sports story… falling just short at the end. Let’s take a look at a few great finishes and amazing calls by Tom Durkin (2001-2010) and Larry Collmus (2011-Present).
2003 Funny Cide (12-1)
Took two of the first three jewels of the triple crown, led for much of the Belmont, but the extra length of the Belmont Stakes was too much for Funny Cide.
2004 Smarty Jones (4-1)
This was our horse! Philadelphia’s horse. His home stable was Parx Racetrack. He was so exciting to watch win the Derby, then cruise to victory at Pimlico, only to fall just short in the last 50 yards. The closest we came to seeing horse racing royalty until 2015.
2006 Barbaro (6-1)
Such a huge win at the Kentucky Derby (7 lengths), so much promise that this was the one to break the streak. Then heartbreak at the Preakness when he broke his leg quickly out of the gate.
2009 Mine That Bird (50-1)
The only thing more incredible than this unexpected win is the aerial view video of Calvin Borel & Mine That Bird’s path from the back of the pack to winner’s circle.
2022 Rich Strike (80-1)
Probably my favorite call out of all the races I’ve watched. While the Mine That Bird win was incredible, Tom Durkin was a bit caught off guard when he surged to the lead. Larry Collmus nearly had an aneurysm when he saw Rich Strike burst to the lead.
2023 Mage (15-1)
A tight finish after Mage came from the outside for the win.
Are we going to see a horse win all three races this year or are we smack in the middle of a stretch of no triple crown winners for a few decades. We begin to find out Saturday. Go look at the list of horses for the first time and then be completely confident in your bets! That’s how I do it every year. It’s the only way to bet the ponies! Good luck, gamble responsibly.
