The Kentucky Derby is known as the most exciting two minutes in sports and has a long, rich history and even richer traditions. This event is one of the biggest horse races in the world, and it attracts thousands of spectators every year. And while ratings have fallen off over the years I believe what happened this year at the Kentucky Derby will definitely bring some great marketing and attract new people.
The Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby isn’t a new race – it goes back to the 19th century when Col. Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr., who wanted to celebrate the American spirit and honor the horse racing tradition that was already common in Kentucky. He decided to hold a race on a farm owned by him, which led to the creation of Churchill Downs (now known as Churchill Downs Racecourse). The first race was held on May 18th, 1875 and it had just three horses participating in it.
This year however…
The 2022 Kentucky Derby was a memorable race. The bettors had two favourites: Epicenter and Zandon,
Besides the two favorites, there was a long list of horses also likely to perform very well on this race, but none of them actually crossed the finish line on that day!
However, it was Rich Strike who secured the win
The most recent winner of the Kentucky Derby was Rich Strike, despite the odds being against him. Not only was this racehorse looked on as an outsider who had no chance of winning the race and was barely mentioned before the race, he wasn’t even supposed to participate in the first place.
All eyes were on Epicenter and Zandon, nobody noticed Rich Strike until a racehorse that was given a 80-1 odds of winning flew past these favorites and eventually won one of the most prestigious races in the world.
This moment will be remembered and mentioned for a long time surely. It was something nobody expected, not even Rich Strike’s own team, and also exactly what horse racing needed.
Who is Rich Strike?
Rich Strike was bred by Calumet Farm which was at a moment in history one of the most productive farms. With Rich Strike’s win, they have bred a total of 10 Kentucky Derby winners.
One of the most interesting things about this amazing horse, Rich Strike, is that his career began at Ellis Park, finishing dead last in a field of 10 horses. Right after this he won the next race at Churchill Downs, leaving his competition in the dust. And ever since his record was just like this, full of wins and loses. In my opinion this makes them one of the most interesting horses to look into in the following months.