The Kentucky Derby is called the most exciting two minutes in sports for a reason. Whether one has money on the race or not, there's something beautiful about watching finely-tuned horses go full-bore down the home-stretch, reaching speeds upwards of 30 miles per hour and thundering along in close-quarters. On Saturday at Churchill Downs, we were treated to another excellent race as Animal Kingdom, a long-shot at 20-1, used a furious kick down the stretch to break the wire first.
Many of the best contenders faltered, including Dialed In, the morning line favorite. Calvin Borel didn't have the magic this year after winning the last two Kentucky Derbies as his horse, Twice the Appeal, finished in10th. Pants on Fire, with Rosie Napravnik on the reigns, finished between the two in ninth. It was a grouping of contenders all in the middle of the pack, rounded-out by Soldat in 11th-place.
ArchArchArch was 15th after starting on the race and provided a scary moment as veterinarians were forced to load the thoroughbred into the ambulance after the race. He appeared to come up lame as the derby was ending, and was diagnosed with a lateral condylar fracture. While any injury in horse racing is not good, ArchArchArch's is not life-threatening.
Here is the full finishing order and results for the 2011 Kentucky Derby, courtesy of SB Nation. Be sure to give the race another watch by checking out video of the Kentucky Derby here.
- Animal Kingdom
- Nehro
- Mucho Macho Man
- Shackleford
- Master of Hounds
- Santiva
- Brilliant Speed
- Dialed In
- Pants on Fire
- Twice the Appeal
- Soldat
- Stay Thirsty
- Derby Kitten
- Decisive Moment
- Archarcharch
- Midnight Interlude
- Twinspired
- Watch Me Go
- Comma to the Top
With the Kentucky Derby over, it's time for a look back at the week at Churchill Downs. Stay with our 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream for more on the race, including full results, recaps and payouts. For more on the race, head over to SB Nation's Kentucky Derby StoryStream or check out And Down The Stretch They Come.