Winning the Kentucky Derby is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and usually the jockeys are the ones who show emotion. However, Rich Strike stole the show himself with his post-race antics.
After crossing the finish line, it appears that the winning horse was biting other horses around him.
Rich Strike at one point had 99-1 odds to win the roses, but closed at 80-1 right before the gates opened. His comeback win, where he came out of nowhere in the final stretch to surpass the favorite, ended up being one of the more shocking victories in recent memory.
Jockey Sonny Leon was thrilled to help guide the victory, while Rich Strike’s trainer Eric Reed and owner Rick Dawson were overcome with emotion as they celebrated afterward.
Everyone on the winning team, from the owner down to the horse, seemed to understand the magnitude of what had just happened.
Rich Strike opens up as a top-three favorite for the Preakness Stakes in two weeks, as the horse tries to go for an even more unlikely triple crown.
