Pat Day Mile 2016 Results: Winner, Payouts and Order of Finish

The Pat Day Mile hasn't always been a staple of Saturday's slate at Churchill Downs, but the race formerly known as the Derby Trial Stakes shifted into the spotlight last year and maintained its status as one of the Kentucky Derby's most anticipated undercards just before the 142nd Run for the Roses got underway. 

With all eyes on the three-year-olds who fell just short of qualifying for the Kentucky Derby, Sharp Azteca triumphed in the $250,000 Grade 3 race over Forevamo and Star Hill, who finished second and third, respectively. 

Blood-Horse's Anne Eberhardt Keogh relayed a picture of Sharp Azteca at the wire: 

The win was the second of the day for trainer Jorge Navarro, who scored a 14-1 upset at the Churchill Downs Stakes with four-year-old Catalina Red, per the Courier-Journal's Jonathan Lintner.

Here's a look at the complete results from Saturday's race, which featured some of the sport's finest three-year-olds: 

Position	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Pre-Race Odds
1	Sharp Azteca	Edgard J. Zayas	Jorge Navarro	8-1
2	Forevamo	Florent Geroux	Albert M. Stall, Jr.	6-1
3	Star Hill	Corey J. Lanerie	George R. Arnold, II	10-1
4	Fellowship	Jose Lezcano	Mark E. Casse	5-1
5	Lookin for a Kiss	Paco Lopez	Michael A. Tomlinson	50-1
6	American Freedom	Javier Castellano	Bob Baffert	6-1
7	Unbridled Outlaw	Victor Espinoza	Dale L. Romans	5-1
8	American Dubai	Francisco C. Torres	Rodney C. Richards	20-1
9	Discreetness	Jon Kenton Court	William H. Fires	12-1
10	Ralis	Mario Gutierrez	Doug F. O'Neill	10-1
11	Gray Sky	Channing Hill	D. Wayne Lukas	15-1
12	Imperial Hint	Antonio A. Gallardo	Luis Carvajal, Jr.	15-1
13	Cocked and Loaded	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	Larry Rivelli	6-1
14	Torrontes	Sophie Doyle	Kellyn Gorder	30-1

And here's a rundown of the payouts for the top three finishers: 

Horse	Win	Place	Show
Sharp Azteca	$28.20	$13.20	$9.60
Forevamo	----	$9.20	$6.00
Star Hill	----	----	$9.40

The one-turn race was considered wide open, with five different horses clocking in under 6-1 as they vied for the $150,000 first-place prize, per Blood-Horse, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that 8-1 Sharp Azteca upset the field and bested perceived favorites like American Freedom, Fellowship and Unbridled Outlaw. 

The three-year-old entered Saturday's proceedings with a second-place finish and a couple of wins at Gulfstream Park to his name, and he ran a blistering race after getting sent free down the backstretch. 

After running a 44.09-second half-mile, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader, Sharp Azteca blew past the competition with a second career win in sight, per Daily Racing Form's Marcus Hersh: 

USA Today's Dan Wolken noted the track at Churchill Downs was conducive to blistering-fast conditions Saturday afternoon: 

Fellowship figured to be in the mix after finishing third behind morning-line Kentucky Derby favorite Nyquist and contender Majesto at the Florida Derby, but the horse that finished 21st in the Derby points standings couldn't push to the front of the pack as Sharp Azteca created separation down the stretch. 

Bob Baffert's American Freedom generated a slew of buzz right before post time but couldn't live up to sky-high expectations after breaking maiden in April at Santa Anita Park. Inexperience ultimately proved to be too much for the horse, though, and a fifth-place finish left plenty to be desired. 

So while the Pat Day Mile may have been a minor setback for a horse that had aspirations of competing in the Preakness, it could ultimately serve as a springboard for Sharp Azteca—who has never finished worse than fifth in five career races.   

Post-Race Reaction

"I thought this horse was the bet of the day," Navarro said, per Blood-Horse's Tom LaMarra. "I think this horse is one of the best 3-year-olds in the nation. The horse had some issues and we gave him some time off. We took a chance in here. The way he did it was just amazing. This horse will run all day."

"I was a little worried," jockey Edgard Zayas added, per LaMarra. "(Imperial Hunt) that has a lot speed and my horse has a lot speed. I just wanted to break and sit in a stalking position. At the three-eighths, I wanted to attack early because that horse is undefeated. Once I got to the front, I knew they were going to have to be running to catch me. My horse just kept running and running."