Kentucky Derby Results 2016: Finishing Order, Replay Video and Payouts

Nyquist remained perfect after winning the 2016 Kentucky Derby on Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

Exaggerator nearly pulled off what would've been an astounding comeback, making up a lot of ground down the final stretch to challenge Nyquist. However, jockey Mario Gutierrez ensured Nyquist had enough left in the tank to capture the first stop on the road to the Triple Crown:

Below are the full results and payouts for the Derby:

Pos.	Horse	Post	Lengths Behind
1	Nyquist	13	--
2	Exaggerator	11	1 1/4
3	Gun Runner	5	4 1/2
4	Mohaymen	14	4 1/2
5	Suddenbreakingnews	2	4 1/2
6	Destin	9	6 3/4
7	Brody's Cause	19	9 1/4
8	Mo Tom	4	10
9	Lani	8	10 1/2
10	Mor Spirit	17	14 1/4
11	My Man Sam	6	14 1/4
12	Tom's Ready	12	16 3/4
13	Creator	3	18
14	Outwork	15	18 1/4
15	Danzing Candy	20	19 3/4
16	Trojan Nation	1	27 1/2
17	Oscar Nominated	7	33 1/4
18	Majesto	18	37 1/2
19	Whitmore	10	38
20	Shagaf	16	DNF

Horse	Win	Place	Show
Nyquist	$6.60	$4.80	$3.60
Exaggerator	-	$5.40	$4.20
Gun Runner	-	-	$6.00

Danzing Candy set a blistering pace to start the race, which is seemingly the kiss of death at Churchill Downs. Rarely does the Derby favor the horse who is the fastest out of the gate. According to KentuckyDerby.com, War Emblem (2002) was the last wire-to-wire winner and the only horse to achieve the feat since 1988.

Predictably, Danzing Candy started slowing down around the third turn and lost his lead to Gun Runner. Gun Runner's moment in the spotlight was brief, however, as Nyquist moved into first place heading into the final stretch. Jockey Florent Geroux pushed Gun Runner as hard as he could, but the horse was no match for the eventual champion.

Echoing the finish of the San Vicente Stakes, Exaggerator made a furious charge, but to no avail, as Nyquist crossed the line first. The Blood-Horse's Jeremy Balan praised this year's runner-up:

Although fans are unlikely to remember Nyquist's Derby win as one of the most dominant performances in the race's illustrious history, the result asserted his superiority over this year's field of contenders.

ESPN's Chris Fowler entered the Derby skeptical of the colt but left convinced:

Nyquist's trainer, Doug O'Neill, was already looking ahead to whether the horse can replicate American Pharoah's Triple Crown.

"It would be nice," he said, per Alicia Wincze Hughes of the Lexington Herald-Leader (h/t Star-Telegram). "Seeing it happen last year shows it can happen with a special horse. … This horse is such a special horse, and he shows it every day. The fact that he's undefeated tells you a lot."

American Pharoah was the exception, though. A multitude of factors beyond a horse's ability go into whether he can win the Triple Crown. Not even two years have past since one of California Chrome's co-owners, Steve Coburn, railed against a system he thought stifles any potential challenger.

According to Odds Shark, Nyquist has 5-2 odds of winning the Triple Crown, yet few horse racing fans are likely expecting him to pull it off, especially just one year after American Pharoah ended a nearly four-decades-long drought.

Running in three major events over a little more than a month is a grueling slog even for the best-conditioned horse. Between Affirmed and American Pharoah's Triple Crowns, 13 horses won both the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes before falling short in the Belmont Stakes.

To a certain extent, one could understand Coburn's frustration after having watched Tonalist, who didn't run in the Derby or Preakness, beat out his horse at Belmont Park. California Chrome was great for the first two legs but didn't stand a chance against fresher competitors as he attempted to cross the final hurdle.

O'Neill can do only so much to stave off the inevitable fatigue that will set in for Nyquist should he maintain a Triple Crown challenge following the Preakness Stakes on May 21.

For now, O'Neill, Gutierrez and owner J. Paul Reddam should bask in the glory of Nyquist's win Saturday.