LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Co-favorite Always Dreaming, ridden by John Velazquez, finished first in the 143rd Kentucky Derby at Louisville’s Churchill Downs on Saturday.
Velazquez also rode Animal Kingdom across the line first in the 2011 Derby.
The unofficial winning time was 2:03.59.
Lookin At Lee finished in second place, and Battle of Midway rounded out the top three.
After intermittent rain throughout the day, track conditions were sloppy.
Thunder Snow, a horse run in Europe and the United Arab Emirates, had trouble out of the gate and jockey Christophe Soumillon eventually pulled his jumpy colt out of the race.
A total of 158,070 people attended the race, according to NBC, which broadcast the event.
The next race in the Triple Crown series is May 20 — the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. The Belmont Stakes in Elmont, New York, is June 10 at Belmont Park.