Spectators, horses, and their teams had a sloppy track at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky on Saturday. That was due to the cloudy and rainy weather overhead. It made for the second-straight Derby with such conditions. However, one horse still emerged as the winner out of a field of 19 horses in the Kentucky Derby 2019.
Kentucky Derby winner disqualified
The favorite heading into the race was Maximum Security 4/1 with Improbable 9/2 as the second favorite on the Kentucky Derby odds. As the race was underway the No. 7 horse Maximum Security took the early lead. Meanwhile, the favorite Improbable fell from the top five to outside of the top six.
As they came around the home stretch, Maximum Security had Country House on the outside giving a battle. However, Maximum Security surged ahead to hold the lead as they crossed the finish line. The unofficial win time of 2:03.93 was posted on NBC as the race concluded on the muddy track. However, that would not be the final result.
Maximum Security. Remember the name. #KentuckyDerby pic.twitter.com/gsE5HUlB8e
— Girls (@thegirlschill_) May 4, 2019
There was contention over the finish based on a move Saez and Maximum Security had during the race. Maximum Security impeded the path of War of Will and Long Range Toddy before surging to the finish line.
That caused some tense moments as everyone awaited a final decision. The stewards took a considerable amount of time to check out replay footage before making the big announcement.
And you thought football replay reviews took a long time… #KentuckyDerby pic.twitter.com/pID9FJQA5a
— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) May 4, 2019
Ultimately, they disqualified the No. 7 horse and awarded the win to No. 20 horse, Country House. It was the first time in the history of the Kentucky Derby an objection caused the initial winner to be reviewed and disqualified.
Kentucky Derby order of finish & bet payouts
Bettors not only have the opportunity to wager on which horse will win the race, but they can also bet on the order of finish. Picking the first two in order of finish is an Exacta while picking the first three is a Trifecta. Bettors can also try to predict the exact four in the order of finish for a Superfecta, which pays the most of these bets.
Country House wins the 145th Kentucky Derby.
Country House entered the race with 65-1 odds to win, making him the 2nd-longest shot to win the Kentucky Derby in the 145-year history of the race (Donerail, 91.5-1 in 1913). pic.twitter.com/V85DMSW9qP
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 4, 2019
Due to the surprising win, Country House was the second-longest shot in the history of the Derby at 65 to 1. Here’s the official order of finish for the field of 19 in the Kentucky Derby.
- 07 Maximum Security (disqualified)
- 20 Country House
- 13 Code of Honor
- 08 Tacitus
- 05 Improbable
- 16 Game Winner
- 15 Master Fencer
- 01 War of Will
- 09 Plus Que Parfait
- 14 Win Win Win
- 10 Cutting Humor
- 03 By My Standards
- 06 Vekoma
- 21 Bodexpress
- 02 Tax
- 17 Roadster
- 18 Long Range Toddy
- 19 Spinoff
- 04 Gray Magician
- 11 Haikal (scratch)
- 12 Omaha Beach (scratch)
For those who placed a $2 bet on Country House at 65-1, they’d win $132.40. Betting $2 for the horse to Place resulted in a payout of $56.60, while a $2 bet for Show brought $24.60.
A $2 Exacta (20-13) ended up paying out $3,009.60. The $1 Trifecta (20-13-8) paid $11,475.30, while a Superfecta (20-13-8-5) paid out $51,400.10.
The 2019 Kentucky Derby was televised on Saturday, May 4, on NBC and live streamed on NBC Sports Live Extra apps.