American Pharoah lived up to his billing as the favourite in the 2015 Kentucky Derby, as he ran out the winner in an exciting race at Churchill Downs.The Bob Baffert-trained colt held off the challenges of Firing Line and second-favourite Dortmund to claim the 141st Run for the Roses.For the full video of the race, see here:Mexican jockey Victor Espinoza claimed the 10-furlong race for the third time in his career, having won last year with California Chrome and in 2002 with War Emblem.Only three jockeys have won the Derby more times than the 42-year-old, perDaily Racing Form'sJay Privman:For all those who had a wager on the race, here is a full table of the payouts, and read on for some of the top moments of the Derby.Firing Line Upsets DortmundOne of the highlights of the race was the slightly surprising performance from Firing Line.The colt was running off Gate 10the post that has produced the most winners and top-three finishesso the performance was not a huge shock. However, at 16-1 odds before the race to beat Dortmundhitherto unbeaten in his six career racesFiring Line showed what a strong contender he is.Privman believes the horse has a successful career ahead of him:With the Preakness Stakes less than two weeks away on May 16, Firing Line has to be considered a contender.The Return of Gary StevensAtop Firing Line, veteran jockey Gary Stevens announced his return to the stage at Churchill Downs.Incredibly, the 52-year-old had knee-replacement surgery less than a year ago, so to come so close to winning the Derby is an incredible achievement, as Privman notes:The three-time winner at Churchill Down was the oldest jockey in the field.Stevens' performance impressedNarrowRator.com:With Stevens back in form, further success could yet be on the cards.Bob Baffert Does It AgainTrainer Baffert won his fourth Run for the Roses and the first since War Emblem in 2002.The 62-year-old is responsible for both Dortmund and American Pharoah, and with the win, he moved closer to the top of the all-time list:Baffert is undoubtedly one of the best trainers in horse racing, confirmed with American Pharoah's victory on Saturday.His son was certainly happy with the win:The celebrations were perhaps the biggest highlight of all. ESPN's Dick Vitale particularly enjoyed them:As American Pharoah and Dortmund prepare for the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, it's wholly possible that the Baffert family will be celebrating again on May 16.
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