Medina Spirit, which had the sixth best odds at 12-1, is the winner of the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby after holding off Mandaloun in the final stretch of the fastest two minutes in sports. The victory was not only an incredible upset on the track, but also a historic moment for trainer Bob Baffert, who stands alone with seven Kentucky Derby wins in his career, a record in the sport.
It was not only a consecutive victory at Churchill Downs for Baffert, but also for the jockey, John Velasquez. The 49-year-old was the man who rode Authentic in last year's Kentucky Derby that helped Baffert tie the record of all-time wins at this Triple Crown jewel. Velasquez also won the Kentucky Oaks earlier this week. The Puerto Rican jockey now boasts four Kentucky Derby wins over the last 11 years.
As some analysts predicted prior to the race, Medina Spirit got off to a fast start and led the pack early on. The question was simply whether the horse would have enough in him to hold that lead for the entirety of the time. The answer actually turned out to be no, as just after the back stretch, Mandaloun -- which had 26-1 odds -- briefly went ahead of the Baffert horse. However, on the final stretch, Medina Spirit was able to outrun the competition and take the victory in a tight finish.
For some, that Medina Spirit led for the amount of time that the horse did was not a surprise. Prior to this race, the horse, which had once been purchased for $1,000 -- and later $35,000 in 2020 -- had never been passed before in a race.
2021 Kentucky Derby results
8 - Medina Spirit WIN: $26.20 PLACE: $12.00 SHOW: 7.60
7 - Mandaloun PLACE: 23.00 SHOW: $13.40
9 - Hot Rod Charlie: SHOW: $5.20
$2.00 Exacta 8-7 $503.60
$1.00 Trifecta 8-7-9 $1,696.90
$1.00 Superfecta 8-7-9-14 $9,456.40
CBS Sports was providing live updates from the Kentucky Derby. You can check those all out below.