Kentucky Derby 2017 Payout: Dissecting Prize-Money Purse and Final Race Results
Always Dreaming took his first step to becoming a Triple Crown winner on Saturday at Churchill Downs after scorching the field of horses on the track during the 2017 Kentucky Derby.
The 143rd edition of the Derby wasn't even close as Always Dreaming cruised during the final few lengths to set up a potential Triple Crown bid, which would be the second Triple Crown winner in three years after American Pharaoh snapped a 37-year drought in 2015.
Not only did he win the race, but Always Dreaming and his team also won the biggest payout of the weekend. Here's the complete list of payouts for the Derby:
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| Always Dreaming | $11.40 | $7.20 | $5.80 |
| Lookin At Lee | - | $26.60 | $15.20 |
| Battle of Midway | - | - | $20.80 |
| $2 Exacta (5-1) | $1 Trifecta (5-1-11) | $1 Superfecta (5-1-11-14) | |
| $336.20 | $8,297.20 | $75,974.50 |
| 1 | Always Dreaming | John R. Velazquez | Todd A. Pletcher | $1,240,000 |
| 2 | Lookin At Lee | Corey Lanerie | Steven M. Asmussen | $400,000 |
| 3 | Battle of Midway | Flavien Prat | Jerry Hollendorfer | $200,000 |
| 4 | Classic Empire | Julien R. Leparoux | Mark E. Casse | $100,000 |
| 5 | Practical Joke | Joel Rosario | Chad C. Brown | $60,000 |
| 6 | Tapwrit | Jose L. Ortiz | Todd A. Pletcher | -- |
| 7 | Gunnevera | Javier Castellano | Antonio Sano | -- |
| 8 | McCraken | Brian Joseph Hernandez Jr. | Ian R. Wilkes | -- |
| 9 | Gormley | Victor Espinoza | John A. Shirreffs | -- |
| 10 | Irish War Cry | Rajiv Maragh | H. Graham Motion | -- |
| 11 | Hence | Florent Geroux | Steven M. Asmussen | -- |
| 12 | Untrapped | Ricardo Santana Jr. | Steven M. Asmussen | -- |
| 13 | Girvin | Mike E. Smith | Joe Sharp | -- |
| 14 | Patch | Tyler Gaffalione | Todd A. Pletcher | -- |
| 15 | J Boys Echo | Robby Albarado | Dale L. Romans | -- |
| 16 | Sonneteer | J. Keith Desormeaux | Kent J. Desormeaux | -- |
| 17 | Fast And Accurate | Channing Hill | Michael J. Maker | -- |
| 18 | Irap | Mario Gutierrez | Doug F. O'Neill | -- |
| 19 | State Of Honor | Jose Lezcano | Mark E. Casse | -- |
| 20 | Thunder Snow | Christophe Soumillon | Saeed bin Suroor | DNF |
The odds and field of horses are not yet available from Odds Shark for the Preakness Stakes as of Saturday night, but it's clear who the favorite will be in Baltimore on Saturday, May 20.
Always Dreaming dominated the race, winning by 2 3/4 lengths. Irish War Cry was doing a good job at keeping pace with Always Dreaming but couldn't keep up after the final turn and fell to 10th place.
A lot of bettors had money on Classic Empire and McCraken to win the whole thing, but neither horse threatened on Saturday, which is surprising when you consider that both are known for being mudders and both have won at Churchill Downs previously.
Instead, Classic Empire finished in fourth place, trailing Always Dreaming by 8 3/4 lengths while McCraken finished a disappointing eighth, 13 1/4 lengths behind Always Dreaming.
In a comfortable victory, Always Dreaming looks the real deal and will be a horse to keep an eye on as the second leg of the Triple Crown fast approaches.
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