With a strong, sustained rally into a hot early pace, Orb took the lead
With a strong, sustained rally into a hot early pace, Orb took the lead with about a furlong to go and drew clear to be a decisive winner of the 139th Kentucky Derby on Saturday at rainy Churchill Downs, reports Daily Racing Form USA.
It says: Orb scored by 2 1/2 lengths. Longshot Golden Soul rallied to be second, one length before Revolutionary, who was the 5-1 favorite for most of the betting before being overtaken by Orb and closing at 6-1. Normandy Invasion, who faded after making a big move to the lead into the stretch, was just a head farther back in fourth.
Orb took steady late money to close as the 5-1 favorite. He was ridden by the hottest jockey in the nation, Joel Rosario, and provided veteran Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, a native Kentuckian, with his first Derby victory. This also was the first Derby victory for Orb's owners and breeders, Stuart Janney III and the Phipps Stable.
Orb, by Malibu Moon out of the Unbridled mare Lady Liberty, raced the 1 1/4 miles over a sloppy, sealed track in 2:02.89 and paid $12.80.
The early pace of this Derby, set by Palace Malice after Goldencents conceded the lead, and then pressed by Verrazano, was hot – 22.57 seconds and 45.33 hot, to be precise. That played right to the strength of the closers, and Normandy Invasion was the first to make his move, rallying outside to take the lead into the stretch. But Orb was already under way from farther back in the pack with a stronger move about six wide, a move that carried the day.
The Derby was the fifth straight win for Orb, who won the Florida Derby and Fountain of Youth Stakes in his two previous starts.