The 5: Fantastic Kentucky Derby Finishes

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This Week on the 5: Fantastic Kentucky Derby Finishes

On Kentucky Derby Day the whole country suddenly becomes horse racing fans. It’s the first leg of the Triple Crown and that means no matter which horse wins, the chance is wide open for a triple crown.  That’s what makes the Derby the most exciting two minutes in sports. From upsets to favorites to record breaking times, the first weekend in May is always thrilling in Louisville.  Here are 5 of the most exciting finishes in the Kentucky Derby.   Grab a Mint Julep, an incredibly large hat, and turn your attention toward  Churchill Downs this weekend to see if history is made once again.

Mine That Bird Secretariat Charismatic Wins Monarchos winning colors

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  • Mine That Bird Comes From Behind to Win  (2009). How can you tell when a winning horse at the Kentucky Derby is a true upset? When the announcer calling the race almost misses him winning it. Mine That Bird went into the Derby at (50 – 1) odds and was so far back that Tom Durkin completely ignored his move through the pack. Durkin didn’t even see the spectacular move until Mine That Bird is 3 lengths out in front with less than 100 yards to go. Mine That Bird took the 2009 Kentucky Derby and became the 2nd biggest long shot to win in the race’s history.  At the 2:45 mark, you’ll hear Tom Durkin finally wake up to what’s happening.  Watch it on YouTube or scroll down below.  Jockey:  Calvin Borel.  This was the second of Borel’s 3 Kentucky Derby wins.
  • Secretariat Makes History (1973).  If anyone had listened to Vegas oddsmaker / rumor monger Jimmy the Greek before the 1973 Kentucky Derby, then Secretariat might have been put out to pasture instead of going on to win the Derby and the Triple Crown that year. The Greek was reporting (falsely) that Secretariat had been injured in a previous race leading up to the Derby and that trainers were icing down his knees. When the race began, it looked like the Greek might have been right when Big Red came out of the gate in last place. That’s when Secretariat put on one of the greatest Derby performances ever. Overtaking each horse and finally out lasting his rival Sham, to not only win the Kentucky Derby, but post a record time of 1:59.40 minutes.  Watch it on YouTube or scroll down below.  Jockey:  Ron Turcotte. This was his second of back to back wins at the Derby.
  • Charismatic Wins By a Head (1999).  Charismatic was the horse that has come the closest to winning the Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978. However, winning the first leg of the crown was a battle all the way for Charismatic. The 1999 Kentucky Derby started a great horse rivalry between Charismatic and Menifee. Down the stretch of the ’99 Derby, it looked like a two horse race between Cat Thief and Worldly Manner, but in the final seconds of the race Charismatic turns it on and heads out in front. That’s when Menifee comes from behind to challenge Charismatic and the two take it to the finish line with Charismatic winning by a head.  Watch it on YouTube or scroll down below to see the video.  Jockey:  Chris Antley.
  • Monarchos Finishes in Under Two (2001).  The 2001 Kentucky Derby had not only a thrilling finish, but was record setting all the way. Songandaprayer became the first horse to break the 45 second barrier in the race’s first half mile. Songandaprayer couldn’t keep up the pace and fell back. Monarchos made his way to the front of the pack along with Invisible Ink and Congaree.  Jockey Jorge Chavez turned it on leaving the other horses behind and became the second of only two horses to ever win the Kentucky Derby in under two minutes with a time of 1:59.97. Watch it on YouTube or scroll down below to see the video.  Jockey:  Jorge Chavez.
  • Winning Colors Wins Wire-to-Wire (1988).  There’s been less than two dozen wire-to-wire winners in the entire history of the Kentucky Derby. Winning Colors pulled off a start to finish lead and became the last philly to win the Kentucky Derby. However the 1988 Derby was not a breeze for Winning Colors. Despite leading the entire race, she was challenged at the end by Forty Niner, making this one of the most exciting finishes in the Derby. The girl hung on to win by a head.  Watch it on YouTube or scroll down to see the video.  Jockey:  Gary Stevens.   This was the first of his three Kentucky Derby wins,

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Mine That Bird Wins in 2009

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=is4q1L6JiSI]

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Secretariat Makes History

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74Usj3K4oZ0]

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Charismatic Wins By a Head

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnD5jN03s40]

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Monarchos Finishes in Under  Two Minutes

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9QdWOR9XW8]

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Winning Colors Wins Wire to Wire

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maKjghSxcAI]

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The Editor
The Editor