[imagesource: Reuters]

The saying goes that unexpected events come from way out of left field.

During Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, which takes place at the Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, the winner came from way back in the field.

Pre-race favourites Epicenter and Zandon were duking it out at the front of the pack as the race drew to a close, but then 80-1 outsider Rich Strike launched an incredible charge to power past everyone and finish at the front of the 20-horse field.

Jockey Sonny Leon, who hails from Venezuela and was riding his first Kentucky Derby, will now go down in the record books for his role in the second-biggest upset in the race’s 148-year history.

Only Donerail, who won the 1913 race at 91-1, has had longer odds.

The Guardian reports:

“I about fell down in the paddock when he hit the wire,” winning trainer Eric Reed said. “I about passed out.”

…Rich Strike wasn’t even in the Derby field until Friday when Hall of Fame trainer D Wayne Lukas scratched Ethereal Road, making room for the chestnut colt trained by Eric Reed.

“We found out about 30 seconds before the deadline on Friday,” [owner Rick] Dawson said. “It put us in the race and really we always felt if we just got in we’ve got a shot.”

This overhead shot of the race’s closing moments shows just how remarkable that late surge through the field was:

Rich Strike earned $1,86m for the victory. That’s a nice return for Dawson, who races as RED TR-Racing LLC, after he bought the horse for $30 000 last year.

[source:guardian]