the Derby at a glance
the finish
Nyquist and Gun Runner overtook tiring leader Danzing Candy at the top of the stretch. Gun Runner was in front only briefly before Nyquist showed a strong finishing kick. He put away his closest rival and sped to the finish line, with Exaggerator closing but never threatening after coming from well back.
by the numbers
2 Derbys won by Gutierrez, trainer Doug O'Neill and owner J. Paul Reddam. The Southern California-based team was behind 2012 Derby and Preakness winner I'll Have Another.
4 Consecutive years in which the favorite has won the Derby.
0-4 Exaggerator's record against Nyquist, including two runner-up finishes.
167,227 Attendance at Churchill Downs, the second-largest crowd in Derby history.
a long shot's day
Concerns that Lani would disrupt the race didn't materialize as the 30-1 long shot finished ninth of 20 horses from the No. 8 post position, better than most had predicted. Arguably the Derby's most temperamental horse, Lani was given special permission to stand apart from his counterparts as they paraded through the paddock. He was making his American debut.
the scene
It was a who's who of celebs at Churchill Downs for Derby day, just as it is every first Saturday in May. Lindsey Vonn, Aaron Rodgers and Kate Upton were among the most popular faces to get TV time ahead of the race. But another figure made a noted appearance. The Stanley Cup visited the barn area Saturday morning, where contending horses and trainers happily posed for pictures at the only place where it's the second-most popular trophy.
Quote of the day
"We got a beautiful trip from the start to the end."
— Mario Gutierrez, Nyquist's jockey
tweet of the day
"for the derby, i'm going with mohaymen (no relation)."
— MLB Network analyst Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman)
up next
The Preakness Stakes is May 21 at Pimlico Race Track in Baltimore.
