Rich Strike Pounds the Kentucky Derby at 80-1

Rich Strike , who drew in late in the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) with the defection of Ethereal Road , blew past favorite Epicenter  and Zandon  with Sonny Leon in the saddle to win for first-time Derby owner Richard Dawson with RED TR-Racing and trainer Eric Reed. The colt is by Keen Ice   and bred by Calumet Farm.

Rich Strike paid $163.60, $74.20, and $29.40.

Opening fractions were brisk at :21.78, :45.36, and 1:10.34. Rich Strike crossed the wire in a final time of 2:02.61

"I fell down in the paddock when they hit the wire and nearly passed out," Reed said. "I am so happy. This is the reason everyone does this. We weren't supposed to be here but I knew the horse loved the track and he had been training so good all year and (jockey) Sonny Leon, they know who he is now ... He gave him the greatest ride I have ever seen," Reed said.

Dawson said he learned that Rich Strike was running in the Kentucky Derby about 30 seconds before scratch time.

"Eric and I would never put in a horse in a race if we didn't think we could win," Dawson said. "We knew we had a shot because every time he went longer he got better. Today we went a mile and a quarter and he kept going. It's like winning the Super Bowl and maybe even better. You only have one player here."

When asked about the second leg of the Triple Crown, the May 21 Preakness Stakes (G1), with a horse he claimed for $30,000 as a 2-year-old, Reed said: "I think his chances are real good. This horse is just getting good. He's getting better every race. We spaced his races properly."

This story will be updated.