Kentucky Derby Results 2015: Winner, Payouts and Comments After 141st Race
It isn't often that sporting events live up to the hype, but the 2015 Kentucky Derby certainly didn't disappoint, as favorite American Pharoah came from behind to defeat Firing Line and Dortmund in an all-time classic.
The Bob Baffert-trained horse had plenty left in the tank down the stretch as he overcame two tough competitors, and he is now in line to go for the first horse racing Triple Crown since 1978. It will take a gargantuan effort in order to match Affirmed's feat, but American Pharoah certainly has fans very hopeful.
With the 141st Run for the Roses officially in the books, here is a full listing of the results and payouts, along with a look at the key comments regarding American Pharoah.
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Kentucky Derby Results
| 1 | 18 | American Pharoah | Victor Espinoza | Bob Baffert | ----- |
| 2 | 10 | Firing Line | Gary Stevens | Simon Callaghan | 1 |
| 3 | 8 | Dortmund | Martin Garcia | Bob Baffert | 3 |
| 4 | 15 | Frosted | Joel Rosario | Kiaran McLaughlin | 3 1/4 |
| 5 | 5 | Danzig Moon | Julien Leparoux | Mark Casse | 6 1/2 |
| 6 | 3 | Materiality | Javier Castellano | Todd Pletcher | 7 3/4 |
| 7 | 14 | Keen Ice | Kent Desormeaux | Dale Romans | 8 3/4 |
| 8 | 6 | Mubtaahij | Christophe Soumillon | Mike de Kock | 9 1/2 |
| 9 | 13 | Itsaknockout | Luis Saez | Todd Pletcher | 10 1/4 |
| 10 | 2 | Carpe Diem | John Velazquez | Todd Pletcher | 11 |
| 11 | 21 | Frammento | Corey Nakatani | Nick Zito | 12 |
| 12 | 9 | Bolo | Rafael Bejarano | Carla Gaines | 12 3/4 |
| 13 | 17 | Mr. Z | Ramon Vazquez | D. Wayne Lukas | 15 1/2 |
| 14 | 1 | Ocho Ocho Ocho | Elvis Trujillo | Jim Cassidy | 15 1/2 |
| 15 | 20 | Far Right | Mike Smith | Ron Moquett | 15 3/4 |
| 16 | 16 | War Story | Joe Talamo | Tom Amoss | 19 1/4 |
| 17 | 4 | Tencendur | Manny Franco | George Weaver | 35 |
| 18 | 19 | Upstart | Jose Ortiz | Rick Violette Jr. | 60 1/2 |
| 7 | El Kabeir | Calvin Borel | John Terranova | SCR | |
| 11 | Stanford | Florent Geroux | Todd Pletcher | SCR | |
| 12 | International Star | Miguel Mena | Michael Maker | SCR |
Kentucky Derby Payouts
| American Pharoah | $7.80 | $5.80 | $4.20 |
| Firing Line | ----- | $8.40 | $5.40 |
| Dortmund | ----- | ----- | $4.20 |
Post-Derby Comments
American Pharoah was quite heralded entering the Run for the Roses, and he showed exactly why Saturday. The uber-talented colt turned on the afterburners in the latter stages of the race and etched his name in the history books.
The Derby marked just his sixth career race, and it ended in his fifth consecutive victory. Despite how good American Pharoah looked, Baffert suggested that he has yet to reach his full capabilities, according to Jonathan Lintner of The Courier-Journal:
He will likely need to ascend to that potential in order to win the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes, but he'll certainly be competitive regardless.
Baffert and jockey Victor Espinoza deserve a lot of credit for helping such an inexperienced horse rise to prominence so quickly, but the 62-year-old trainer believes all the glory should belong to the three-year-old superstar:
Espinoza, who won the Kentucky Derby for the second consecutive year, made it clear that he was piloting an extremely special horse as well.
In fact, the Mexican jockey felt as though he never truly let American Pharoah loose until he willed him to victory at Churchill Downs:
Owner Ahmed Zayat echoed that sentiment and marveled at what the colt was able to do when the shackles were loosened and he was asked to go for the gusto:
With the dust settling in regard to the Kentucky Derby win, the focus has predictably started to shift toward the Preakness. Before preparations for the second jewel of the Triple Crown begin, though, American Pharoah, Baffert, Espinoza and Zayat are enjoying the spoils of victory.
According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, American Pharoah has been especially pleased with his new-found fame:
That celebrity status can be taken to an entirely different level if American Pharoah finds a way to win at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, though.
He will have his work cut out for him, however, as Baffert plans to enter Dortmund into the Preakness Stakes:
While Baffert would undoubtedly love to make history and win the Triple Crown, he also has a desire to see the sport of horse racing reach a new level. That is why he wants the best possible competition to run at both the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes, according to Rick Bozich of WDRB.com:
The Kentucky Derby was one of the best races in recent memory due to the depth of talent that was involved, and the next two legs of the Triple Crown could be very similar if opposing trainers and owners are willing to take a run at stopping American Pharoah's pursuit.
There is always a certain amount of buzz surrounding the horse racing world after the Kentucky Derby since a horse is in line to go for the Triple Crown, but the feeling is even more palpable this time around since American Pharoah truly has the makings of a very special colt.
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