Pat Day Mile 2015 Results: Winner, Payouts and Order of Finish
Formerly one of the best races in the country, the Derby Trial used to often produce Kentucky Derby contenders and winners. More recently, however, the race has lost its luster, and in an effort to revamp it and and increase its importance, the race was renamed the Pat Day Stakes; it received a bump in purse value as well, with the total purse now valued at $200,000.
The move paid off in a big way, as the first-ever running of the Pat Day Mile (Grade 3) was quite an event.
With a time of 1:34.18, Competitive Edge proved to be the best of a solid crop of three-year-olds, while Pain and Misery and Gimme Da Lute had to settle for second- and third-place finishes, respectively.
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Let's take a look at what was a great first edition of the Pat Day Mile.
Final Order of Finish
| 1 | Competitive Edge | 6-5 | Todd Pletcher | John Velazquez |
| 2 | Pain and Misery | 27-1 | Henry Dominguez | Julien Leparoux |
| 3 | Gimme Da Lute | 3-1 | Bob Baffert | Martin Garcia |
| 4 | Lord Nelson | 5-2 | Bob Baffert | Rafael Bejarano |
| 5 | The Truth or Else | 14-1 | Kenneth McPeek | Joel Rosario |
| 6 | Hillbilly Royalty | 11-1 | Donnie Von Hemel | Luis Quinonez |
| 7 | Where's The Moon | 21-1 | Henry Dominguez | Robby Albarado |
| 8 | Peace and War | 19-1 | Olly Stevens | Javier Castellano |
Winner and Payouts
| Competitive Edge | $4.60 | $3.80 | $2.60 |
| Pain and Misery | -- | $16.00 | $6.40 |
| Gimme Da Lute | -- | -- | $3.40 |
Race Recap
Hillbilly Royalty led the group out of the gate and logged a first quarter in 23.15 seconds. Jockey Luis Quinonez stood on him for much of the race, but he posted a very brisk half-mile in 45.86, leaving him with nothing in the tank when they made the turn for home.
Competitive Edge was there to pick up the pieces in the stretch run, though, and he had gained the lead by the top of the stretch.
Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez showed (literally showed—didn't even crack it) Competitive Edge the whip just after entering the final 300-yard stretch, and it was off to the races. The Super Saver colt opened up under a hand ride and finished off a three-length victory.
For Velazquez, it was an impressive victory, and he set his horse up perfectly. As the NBC Sports broadcast noted, he didn't need to be a hero Saturday; he just needed to be a "quiet passenger in the right place at the right time" and that he was. The duo combined for an outstanding showing, and they'll take home most of the $200,000 purse—after posing for pictures, of course.
Lord Nelson was a disappointing fourth-place showing. The Pulpit colt never lifted a hoof after kicking out four wide in an attempt to close into what should've been very favorable fractions.
That said, the Pat Day Mile should serve as a bit of a precursor for the Kentucky Derby, as it showed a very fair running surface that should reward any horse in the right position.
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