Big Brown took the first US Classic of the season this Saturday (3 May) winning the 134th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky.
The Richard Dutrow jnr-trained three-year-old became the seventh unbeaten horse to win the race and the first horse since 1915 to win it having had just three previous starts.
It was a first Derby win for Mr Dutrow jnr and a third for jockey Kent Desormeaux — who won on Real Quiet in 1998 and Fusaichi Pegasus in 2000.
Having won the first leg of the US Triple Crown connections are now looking towards the second leg — the Preakness Stakes held in Maryland in two weeks time.
Mr Desormeaux said of Big Brown: “Talent-wise, he is the best horse I’ve ever ridden.”
The 24-10 favourite won by nearly five lengths ahead of the lone filly in the race, the Larry Jones-trained Eight Belles, who sadly fatally fractured both of her fore ankles pulling up on the turn. The stable had been hoping to record a double as only the day before her stablemate Proud Spell took the Kentucky Oaks.
In third was Denis of Cork, trained by David M Carroll and Tale of Ekati was fourth. All 20 ran.
