Kentucky Derby Exhale: Martin Garcia, A Crazy Photo Finish, and Kenny McPeek's Tough Week

Hello, friends. I don’t know about you, but I’m still hurting. No hair of the dog can cure my post-Kentucky Derby Depression. Two weeks of excitement culminated with an incredible race, but it’s left us all asking, “What’s next?” Before completely moving on the from Kentucky Derby 151, let me look back at a few noteworthy moments from over the weekend at Churchill Downs.

A Hard Right Turn

The Kentucky Derby starting gate is notoriously rough. The chaos was somewhat alleviated when the auxiliary gate was replaced by the 20-horse starting gate, used exclusively for that race. There are still a ton of horses firing at once. Things get rough.

“Rough” is a nice way of describing the way Citizen Bull’s start. Bob Baffert’s horse steered hard to the right, banging into three or four horses. Some horseplayers are ready to put jockey Martin Garcia into jail or prison.

Oh, so I cut off 5 lanes of traffic causing a wreck and I’m a “bad driver” and get a DUI. Martin Garcia does it and he’s “race riding” pic.twitter.com/hhpLFlvz82

— Joshua (@barbaro1420) May 5, 2025

Citizen Bull used that fast start to gain an early lead, but as suspected, couldn’t sustain it. Even though Garcia cut off Final Gambit, the No. 3 horse nearly rallied for third until Baeza made one final late charge toward the finish line.

The Churchill Downs Stakes Kicked Ass

The greatest misconception about the Kentucky Derby is that it’s just one race. The undercard is loaded with high-level races on Friday and Saturday.

Fortunately, the rain did not destroy the surface. The Churchill Downs turf course has struggled to take root over the last few years, but all of the stakes went on as planned. It was even considered “good” after a Friday evening thunderstorm that nearly knocked me off my feet in the infield.

Unfortunately, it did not lead to a bunch of upsets. I hoped a wet surface might lead to some bombs, but we didn’t cash too many of those tickets. We did get to see an exhilarating finish in the $1 Million Churchill Downs Stakes. It was a five-horse photo finish. Like the entire audience at the track, Larry Collmus wasn’t even sure who won right away. Mindframe secured the win, and there was a dead heat for second with Banishing and Nysos.

Not enough people are talking about the fantastic photo finish in the Churchill Downs. pic.twitter.com/2VgZi43u0a

— Nick Roush (@RoushKSR) May 4, 2025

Two Tough Losses for Kenny McPeek

The first weekend in May was much better for Kenny McPeek in 2024 than it was in 2025. He secured the Oaks-Derby double with Thorpedo Anna taking home the crown for the fillies and Mystik Dan edging out two others by a nose.

Both horses were back in the mix this weekend. If you read our Oaks Day preview, Thorpedo Anna was in a vulnerable position. The 2024 Horse of the Year faded to the back and finished last in the La Troienne at Churchill Downs.

Shortly after the Kentucky Derby wrapped up at Churchill Downs, Mystik Dan ran at Oaklawn Park. It was a nice bounce-back opportunity after a disappointing showing at the Pegasus World Cup in January. Instead of leaving triumphantly from his home course, Mystik Dan lost by a nose to Saudi Crown.

A New Churchill Downs Track Record

Mike Repole thought Fierceness would give him his first Kentucky Derby win. The outspoken owner had to wait another year to celebrate in the Churchill Downs Winner Circle with this horse. Fierceness made his four-year-old debut in the 1 1/16 miles Alysheba Stakes and set a track record at 1:40.66.

Even though he failed to fire in the 2024 Kentucky Derby, Fierceness proved he’s one of the best in his class by taking home the Jim Dandy and Travers last summer at Saratoga. He finished second in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. With another impressive campaign at Saratoga this year, Fierceness is well on his way to more Breeders’ Cup glory.

Riding the Storm Out

Rain or shine, you’ll find me in the Kentucky Derby Infield on the first Saturday in May. The chilly temperatures made it extra dreary on Derby Day this year, but we’ve been far more miserable on other Derby Days. What happened on Oaks was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. It was a gnarly 20 minute thunderstorm, although well worth riding the storm out to see three final races under serene conditions with the entire first turn to ourselves.

Ain’t no party like an Infield Tarp Party pic.twitter.com/Mygir9csoq

— Nick Roush (@RoushKSR) May 2, 2025