Favored Always Dreaming wins Kentucky Derby

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Always Dreaming took command at the top of the stretch on Saturday and easily held off longshot Lookin at Lee to become the fifth straight favorite to win the Kentucky Derby in Louisville, Ky.

Always Dreaming gave trainer Todd Pletcher his second win in the Run for the Roses.

The race was run under mostly sunny skies, but the track was labeled sloppy because of rain on Friday and Saturday morning.

Forwardly placed from the beginning, Always Dreaming tracked 54-1 shot Battle of Midway from the rail.

On the far turn, Always Dreaming poked his nose in front and then withstood a challenge from Irish War Cry.

Always Dreaming opened a clear lead in the stretch and finished the 1 1/4 miles in 2 minutes, 3.59 seconds. He paid $11.40 as the 9-2 favorite.

It was the second Derby triumph for jockey John Velazquez, Pletcher’s top rider.

Lookin at Lee, a deep closer, advanced along the rail to finish second, beaten 2 3/4 lengths.

Battle of Midway held on for third.

Classic Empire, last year’s champion 2-year-old and the morning-line favorite, was jostled leaving the gate. He raced wide in the middle of the pack down the backstretch and rallied to finish fourth.

Dubai invader Thunder Snow was pulled up shortly after the start, but appeared to be OK after the race.

NOTES: Bob Baffert was on the sideline for this year’s Run for the Roses. The Hall-of-Fame trainer, who has won the Derby four times, including in 2015 with Triple Crown champion American Pharoah, lost his 3-year-old star Mastery to an injury. But Baffert’s 3-year-old filly Abel Tasman scored a 9-1 upset in Friday’s Kentucky Oaks. … The Oaks, which was run over a sloppy track after Friday’s deluge in Louisville, had Derby day fans looking skyward. Saturday morning was cold and wet at Churchill Downs, but the skies cleared in the afternoon. … When Patch was loaded into stall No. 20 for the race, he saw thousands of fans packing the grandstands, but none of his four-legged competitors. Patch has no left eye. “I mean, you can’t help but root for him. I mean, he’s overcome a lot,” trainer Todd Pletcher told NBC. Bettors agreed: Patch, who was 30-1 on the morning line, was bet down to 13-1 at post time.