Orb, ridden by Joel Rosario, won the 139th Kentucky Derby at a wet and muddy Churchill Downs on Saturday.
After making a cautious start in the sloppy conditions, Orb pinned back his ears and sprinted to the front at the iconic Twin Spires, then kicked clear to win the $2 million, 1-1/4 mile classic.Golden Soul, a long shot who enjoyed a trouble free journey along the rails, finished second while Revolutionary, who started the race as second favorite behind Orb, was third in the 19-horse field.
Normandy Invasion finished fourth after leading into the straight while Mylude was fifth under the guidance of Rosie Napravnik, marking the best finish in the revered race by a female jockey.
Orb, who was bred and trained in Kentucky, emerged as the horse to beat in the annual Run for the Roses after winning his four previous races, including the Florida Derby, one of the key lead-up events.
He was initially installed as the 7-2 favorite despite drawing gate 16 at Wednesday's post-position draw but began to drift in the betting as the race approached.
Only a late surge of money saw him start as the 5-1 favorite, just a point ahead of Revolutionary, the Louisiana Derby winner and one of five horses in the trace trained by Todd Pletcher.
