Kentucky Derby 2018 day results, payouts and more
The Kentucky Derby 2018 undercard features former Triple Crown runners, horses who were previously on this year’s Derby trail and plenty of top-notch stakes action. On a day designed to highlight the best the 3 year olds, the same age group got the action rolling in the first race.
We’ll have updates on results and payouts here throughout the day, with last year’s Derby runners Lookin At Lee and Sonneteer in race 3 and McCraken in race 5.
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Race 12 (G1 Kentucky Derby, 1 1/4 miles)
The curse of Apollo is broken. Justify, who did not race at 2, wins Kentucky Derby 2018 and remains undefeated in four starts. Good Magic was the biggest threat for Justify and held on for second over Audible. Instilled Regard caught fourth at 85-1 and My Boy Jack ran fifth.
Justify broke clean with Mike Smith aboard and settled outside pacesetter Promises Fulfilled. Good Magic was close behind and when Promises Fulfilled backed up, Justify and Good Magic started to make their run. Good Magic gave his all but there was no catching Justify, who gave trainer Bob Baffert his fifth win in the Kentucky Derby. Baffert is now the second winningest trainer in Derby history behind Ben Jones with six wins. Before today he was tied with D. Wayne Lukas at four wins each.
The top three each won their final Derby preps. Justify came out of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, Good Magic, last year’s 2-year-old champion, won the Grade 2 Blue Grass Stakes and Audible ran away with the Grade 1 Florida Derby.
Instilled Regard, fourth in the Santa Anita Derby, rallied up the rail to beat Grade 3 Lexington Stakes winner My Boy Jack, who came flying on the outside.
The final time was 2:04.20, with Justify winning by 2 1/2 lengths.
WinStar Farm and China Horse Club were in the winner’s circle one race before the Derby as partners in Yoshida. They teamed with SF Racing to take the highlight of the day.
Justify returned $7.80, $6.00 and $4.40 as the 5-2 favorite, making it the sixth straight year the favorite won. Good Magic, 9-1, brought $9.20 and $6.60 and Audible, 7-1, was worth $5.80.
$2 Exacta: $69.60
$.50 Trifecta: $70.70
$1 Superfecta: $19,618.20
Race 11 (G1 Old Forester Turf Classic, 1 1/8 miles on the turf)
When Yoshida and Beach Patrol took over in the Grade 1 Old Forester Turf Classic, Yoshida kept his head in front the whole way down the stretch. The pair stalked Shining Copper and were the ones to catch turning for home. Beach Patrol, the 8-5 favorite going for his fourth Grade 1, put in a fight but Jose Oriz kept Yoshida in front. The Bill Mott trainee was returning for his first start since winning the Grade 3 Hill Prince Stakes October.
Owned by WinStar Farm, China Horse Club and Head of Plains Partners, Yoshida paid $21.80, $8.00 and $4.80 at 9-1. Beach Patrol returned $3.60 and $2.80 and finished ahead of Synchrony, 4-1, who paid $3.40. Arklow finished fourth.
$2 Exacta: $70.80
$.50 Trifecta: $74.10
$1 Superfecta: $896.70
Race 10 (G3 Pat Day Mile Stakes, one mile)
It was a swimming upset for Funny Duck, who drew off to win the Grade 3 Pat Day Mile at 39-1. Trained by Rusty Arnold and ridden by Brian Hernandez Jr., Funny Duck left the favorites Mississippi, National Flag and Sporting Chance back in the slop and passed New York Central down the stretch. New York Central finished second at 31-1 and Givemeaminit, 21-1, got up for third. Sporting Chance did the best of the favorites in fourth.
Funny Duck, a Calumet Farm homebred, delivered $81.40, $36.60 and $14.20. New York Central placed for $27.80 and $12.40 and Givemeaminit showed for $10.00
Calumet Farm also has Bravazo coming up in the Derby with trainer D. Wayne Lukas.
$2 Exacta: $1,753.60
$.50 Trifecta: $8,569.25
$1 Superfecta: $74,919.60
Race 9 (G2 American Turf Stakes, 1 1/16 miles on the turf)
Maraud emerged from the driving rain to win the Grade 2 American Turf Stakes for trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez. Velazquez will later be aboard Vino Rosso, one of Pletcher’s four Kentucky Derby contenders.
The rain hit hardest just before the American Turf. Maraud rallied down the center of the turf course with Untamed Domain and Captivating Moon chasing him home. Velazquez kept the win at a comfortable margin with Untamed Domain and Captivating Moon finishing in a dead heat. Arawak came on for fourth.
Treadway Racing Stable’s Maraud returned $18.80, $8.40 and $6.20 at 8-1 odds. With a dead heat, Untamed Domain, 7-1, was worth $4.60 and $5.80 and Captivating Moon, 11-1, brought a little more at $5.40 and $6.40.
$2 Exacta: $69.80 (with Untamed Domain), $79.40 (with Captivating Moon)
$.50 Trifecta: $123.65
$1 Superfecta: $9,873.40 (with Untamed Domain over Captivating Moon), $11,189.80 (with Captivating Moon over Untamed Domain)
Race 8 (G2 Churchill Downs Stakes, seven furlongs)
Limousine Liberal turned the tables on Warrior’s Club in a sloppy Grade 2 Churchill Downs Stakes leading up to the Kentucky Derby. Down the road at Keeneland, Warrior’s Club held off Limousine Liberal by a neck in the Grade 3 Commonwealth Stakes almost a month ago. In the Churchill Downs, Jockey Jose Ortiz settled Limousine Liberal close behind favorite Imperial Hint and Unbridled Outlaw. The 6-year-old gelding broke through in the stretch and fought it out until the end. This time, Limousine Liberal was the one to hold on over Warrior’s Club. Awesome Slew was a close third and Whitmore was fourth.
A homebred for Katherine Ball and trained by Ben Colebrook, Limousine Liberal paid $10.80, $5.40 and $3.40 with 4-1 odds. Warrior’s Club almost pulled off the upset at 23-1, returning $15.80 and $6.80 and Awesome Slew, 7-2, brought $3.20.
$2 Exacta: $252.60
$.50 Trifecta: $213.45
$1 Superfecta: $1,999.90
Race 7 (G2 Longines Distaff Turf Mile, one mile on the turf)
Patricia Moseley’s Proctor’s Ledge found her way back to the winner’s circle in the Grade 2 Longines Distaff Turf Mile. The Brendan Walsh trainee ran down On Leave to pick up her third graded stakes win, the first two coming back-to-back at Saratoga. Ridden by John Velazquez, Proctor’s Ledge sat behind the leading crowd of horses including Psycho Sister, On Leave, Madame Stripes and Res Ipsa. On Leave looked ready to run away at the top of the stretch but Proctor’s Ledge found a way through and ran her down. Dream Awhile was third and Dream Dancing fourth.
Proctor’s Ledge was made 6-1 and returned $15.60, $8.00 and $5.00. On Leave, 4-1, placed for $5.60 and $3.60 and 7-2 favorite Dream Awhile showed for $3.60.
$2 Exacta: $61.20
$.50 Trifecta: $99.80
$1 Superfecta: $2,606.30
Race 6 (G1 Humana Distaff Stakes, seven furlongs)
American Gal picked up her second Grade 1 win in a talent-filled Humana Distaff Stakes. With both fillies off at 5-2, American Gal led from off the rail while Finley’sluckycharm stuck to the inside. The two hooked up turning for home but Finley’sluckycharm failed to fire over the muddy surface. Jose Ortiz and American Gal powered on with Ivy Bell and Lewis Bay rounding out the trifecta. Finley’sluckycharm held for fourth and suffered her first defeat at Churchill Downs in seven starts.
Trained by Simon Callaghan for Kaleem Shah, American Gal paid $7.80, $4.40 and $3.20. Ivy Bell, 4-1, delivered $4.60 and $3.40 and Lewis Bay, also 5-2, returned $2.80.
$2 Exacta: $40.40
$.50 Trifecta: $31.65
$1 Superfecta: $102.90
Race 5 (Allowance Optional Claiming, one mile)
Another 2017 Derby horse returned a winner on the day’s undercard. McCraken, eighth a year ago, went from last to first with regular jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. and held off Behavioral Bias. Trained by Ian Wilkes for Whitham Thoroughbreds, LLC, McCraken was making his first start since October. It was his sixth win in 11 starts and improved his Churchill Downs record to five-for-six.
Rain started hitting Churchill Downs shortly before the race but the track was still labeled fast.
McCraken went off as the 9-5 favorite and returned $5.60, $3.60 and $2.80. Behavioral Bias, 9-2, paid $5.00 and $3.40 and Dazzling Gem, 4-1, showed for $3.40. Storm Advisory rounded out the superfecta.
$2 Exacta: $26.00
$.50 Trifecta: $23.80
$1 Superfecta: $377.00
Race 4 (Maiden Special Weight, one mile on the turf)
Zayat Stables and trainer Bill Mott teamed with Irish Territory to win on the Kentucky Derby undercard. Already stakes placed with a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 With Anticipation Stakes, Irish Territory earned his first win in four starts. The Declaration of War colt rallied down the center of the turf course under Junior Alvarado to beat Midnight Tea Time. Zero Gravity got up for third and Unbridled Rebel held for fourth.
As the 9-2 favorite, Irish Territory’s win was worth $11.60, $6.20 and $4.80. Midnight Tea Time paid $7.80 and $5.40 at 6-1 and Zero Gravity, 20-1, paid $10.00 to show.
The Zayats will later campaign Solomini in the Run for the Roses with trainer Bob Baffert and Mott will saddle Hofburg for Juddmonte Farms.
$2 Exacta: $78.40
$.50 Trifecta: $405.05
$1 Superfecta: $4,268.30
Race 3 (Allowance Optional Claiming, 1 1/16 miles)
A year after his runner-up finish in the Kentucky Derby, Lookin At Lee returned victorious on the 2018 undercard. After stalking the pace, the Steve Asmussen-trained colt powered down the stretch and held off Sonneteer, who was 16th in last year’s Derby. Looking At Lee’s victory was the 8,000th career win for Asmussen, who will later send out Combatant in the Kentucky Derby. Guided by Ricardo Santana Jr., it was the first win for L and N Racing’s colt since the 2016 Ellis Park Juvenile.
Off at 6-1, Lookin At Lee returned $15.00, $6.80 and $3.80. Sonneteer, 5-1, paid $6.20 and $3.60 and 8-5 favorite Irish Freedom delivered $2.80 to show. Laddie Boy was fourth.
$2 Exacta: $74.60
$.50 Trifecta: $50.75
$1 Superfecta: $600.60
Race 2 (Allowance, one mile)
Big Gray Rocket launched out of the starting gate first under Corey Lanerie and left everyone chasing him home. It was the colt’s first win since breaking his maiden in September 2016 with trainer Bob Baffert. Frank Fletcher’s 4-year-old Tapit colt made his debut for trainer Al Stall Jr. early this year with two fourth-place runs at Oaklawn Park and was still sent out today as the 3-2 favorite. Gray Sky, also by Tapit, closed for a gray horse exacta and the filly Summer Luck was third over Super Derecho.
The win was worth $5.00, $3.40 and $2.40. Gray Sky, the 3-1 second choice, paid $4.40 and $2.80 and Summer Luck, the 7-2 third choice, returned $2.60.
$2 Exacta: $16.80
$.50 Trifecta: $15.90
$1 Superfecta: $90.40
Race 1 (Allowance Optional Claiming, seven furlongs)
Will Farish’s homebred colt Crosswalk emerged as the winner in the opening race. It was the second win in five starts for the son of City Zip, who has never finished worse than second. Brian Hernandez Jr. settled Crosswalk in mid-pack and overtook leaders Cove Blue and Honorable Treasure in the stretch. Honorable Treasure held for second over Once on Whiskey and Cove Blue was fourth.
Trained by Neil Howard, Crosswalk paid $7.80, $4.00 and $2.80 with 5-2 odds. Honorable Treasure, 10-1, returned $9.40 and $5.00 to place and Once on Whiskey, 2-1, showed for $2.60.
$2 Exacta: $70.60
$.50 Trifecta: $69.15
$1 Superfecta: $622.70