LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Nyquist, ridden by Mario Gutierrez and trained by Doug O’Neill, has won the 142nd Kentucky Derby, in front of the second-largest crowd in Derby history. A total of 167,227 people attended the race. Last year, there were 170,513 fans.
Gutierrez also was aboard Derby winner I’ll Have Another in 2012. Nyquist, undefeated in eight starts, grabbed the lead down the homestretch and held off Exaggerator and 18 other horses.
“He’s such a special horse,” O’Neill said. “He’s such a professional.”
With the Kentucky Derby favorite looking to stretch his unbeaten record to 8 for 8, there was a little unbeaten history to consider before the race went off:
A total of 26 undefeated horses entered the starting gate for the Derby and seven crossed the finish line and remained unbeaten. The seven, with records after the Derby are Big Brown (2008, 4-0); Barbaro (2006, 6-0); Smarty Jones (2004, 7-0); Seattle Slew (1977, 7-0); Majestic Prince (1969, 8-0); Morvich (1922, 12-0); and Regret (1915, 4-0).
Since Big Brown, four unbeatens started in the Derby and came up short — Dortmund (2015, third); Materiality (2015, sixth); Verrazano (2013, 14th); and Gemologist (2012, 16th).
The Associated Press and CNN contributed to this report.
