In a stunning upset, Rich Strike has won the 2022 Kentucky Derby. Heading into the race, Rich Strike was at 80-1, but somehow and some way, we saw not only an upset but a comeback for the ages.
Rich Strike was a late entry. How late in fact? Well, he only entered when Ethereal Road was declared out of the race Friday morning according to David K. Li and Dennis Romero of NBC Sports. Now it is Rich Strike, and not the co-favourites of Messier, Epicenter, Taiba and Zandon, which will be trying to capture the Triple Crown. It was a slow start for Rich Strike, but this was the horse that had the most energy in the home stretch and toward the finish line.
Related: What to Watch on TV This Weekend May 7 & 8.
So what in fact do we know about Rich Strike?
Well, his trainer Eric Reed, has never had a Kentucky Derby horse before. That’s right. This is the very first entrance for Reed, and he is a Kentucky Derby champion. Reed actually lost 23 horses in a fire in 2016. But this was not only the first Kentucky Derby for the trainer, but the jockey as well. Sonny Leon of Venezuela had never competed in the biggest race in horse racing either.
Second Biggest Upset in Kentucky Derby History
According to Mike Tirico of NBC Sports, only one horse ever had higher odds to win the Kentucky Derby and came through with the impressive W. You have to go way back to 1913, to see the 91-1 Donerail. In this race, Donerail got off to a slow start, but just like Rich Strike, had an impressive comeback to beat the favourites.
What an upset!! Watch the #KyDerby. pic.twitter.com/IdUPthNO4p
— Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) May 7, 2022
Rich Strike’s Prior Success
A major reason why no one has heard of Rich Strike, is because he simply has not done much and simply was on nobody’s radar. His only prior win was a maiden claiming race on September 17. That race happened to be at Churchill Downs too. It will now be interesting to see how Rich Strike stacks up against the field in the Preakness Stakes in two weeks.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
