The horse-racing leg of the Greatest Day in Sports held up its end of the bargain, providing the thrilling two minutes as advertised. American Pharoah, the favorite heading into the race, ended up the victor at race's end.
Dortmund and Firing Line traded the lead early, with Carpe Diem and American Pharoah right behind. Dortmund held the lead through the backstretch and through the third and fourth turns. Firing Line took the lead at the start of the frontstretch, but American Pharoah took over the lead in the final stretch. In the final 1/16th of a mile, American Pharoah stretched its lead and held on for victory.
A record 170,513 fans filled Churchill Downs, sporting everything from cantilevered hats to eye-popping blood alcohol levels. Betting throughout the day kept the odds relatively steady, with American Pharoah listed at 5-2, Dortmund at 4-1, Carpe Diem at 7-1, and Firing Line at 9-1 just minutes before post time.
The question now, as it always is after a Derby, is whether a Triple Crown is in the works for the first time since Affirmed in 1978. Thirteen horses since then have won the first two jewels of the Crown before falling short in the Belmont Stakes, two in the last three years prior to 2015.
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