The 2000 Kentucky Derby was the 126th running of the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby () is an American Graded stakes race, Grade I stakes Thoroughbred racing, race run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is run by three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of . Colt (horse), Colts and geldin ...

. The race took place on May 6, 2000. There were 153,204 in attendance. The winning horse

Fusaichi Pegasus Fusaichi Pegasus (, ; April 12, 1997 – May 23, 2023) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 2000 Kentucky Derby, and subsequently set a record at auction—selling for US$70 million to Coolmore Stud. Background The colt w ...

, ridden by jockey

Kent Desormeaux Kent Jason Desormeaux (born February 27, 1970) is an American thoroughbred horse racing Hall of Fame jockey who holds the U.S. record for most races won in a single year with 598 wins in 1989. He has won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes t ...

, was the first betting favorite to win the Derby since

Spectacular Bid Spectacular Bid (foaled February 17, 1976 – June 9, 2003) was a champion American Thoroughbred racehorse who won the 1979 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes. He holds the world record for the fastest 10 furlongs on dirt, and also broke sev ...

in 1979. This was the last Kentucky Derby race to be broadcast on ABC, ending a 25-year association with the network; NBC took over the broadcast rights the next year and has broadcast the race since then. The purse was split between the top five finishers. The first-place winner received around $1.86 million which is more than 60% of the total purse.

Background

was known as “the most expensive racehorse of all time.” Fusaichi Pegasus was born to mare Angel Fever, who was purchased from

Bob McNair Robert C. McNair (January 1, 1937 – November 23, 2018) was an American businessman, philanthropist, and the founding owner of the National Football League's Houston Texans. Early life and education McNair grew up in Forest City, North ...

and Arthur Hancock’s Stone Farm for $525,000. Fusaichi Pegasus was sold at the 1998

Keeneland Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for ...

July yearling sale to a Japanese businessman,

Fusao Sekiguchi (born December 20, 1935, in Amagasaki, Hyogo, Japan) is a businessman and Thoroughbred horse racing enthusiast. He was the founder and CEO of in Nagoya before also founding of Tokyo. The owner of a number of racehorses, the most notable of wh ...

, who purchased the yearling at $4 million--the most expensive sale in 13 years. Fusaichi Pegasus was named after the last four letters, “ichi” which means “best” and “Pegasus'', which refers to the winged mythical creature. After Fusaichi Pegasus' winning debut at the Kentucky Derby on May 6, 2000, Fusaichi was sold by Sekiguchi for a record of $70 million. This record-selling horse went to

Coolmore Stud Coolmore Stud, in Fethard, County Tipperary, Ireland, is the headquarters of one of the world's largest breeding operation of thoroughbred racehorses. Through its racing arm, Ballydoyle, Coolmore also has raced many classic winners and champio ...

in Ireland, and he's held the title of "the most expensive horse in history" all the way through to his retirement of stud duties at Coolmore Stud in Kentucky during 2020.

Payout

;The 126th Kentucky Derby Payout Schedule * $2

Exacta Parimutuel betting, or pool betting, is a betting system in which all bets of a particular type are placed together in a pool; taxes and the ''house-take'', or ''vigorish'', are deducted, and payoff odds are calculated by sharing the pool among a ...

: (12-5) Paid $66.00 * $2

Trifecta Trifecta A trifecta is a parimutuel bet placed on a horse race in which the bettor must predict which horses will finish first, second, and third, in the exact order. Known as a trifecta in the US and Australia, this is known as a tricast in ...

: (12-5-1c) Paid $435.00 * $1

Superfecta {{Wiktionary The superfecta is a type of wager in the United States and Canada parimutuel betting in which the bettor, in order to win, must pick the first four finishers of a race in the correct sequence. This is even more unlikely than a success ...

: (12-5-1c-9) Paid $1,635.40

Full results

Race description

broke to the inside left of the field at the start of the race, saving ground along the backstretch. Trippi takes the early lead, with Hal's Hope challenging early on.

Aptitude An aptitude is a component of a competence to do a certain kind of work at a certain level. Outstanding aptitude can be considered "talent", or "skill". Aptitude is inborn potential to perform certain kinds of activities, whether physical or ...

won along the backstretch, easing outside Fusaichi Pegasus nearing the final sixteenth. When rounding the clubhouse turn, Hal's Hope is in the front, following Trippi on the outside in second place. At the 1/2 mile mark, Fusaichi Pegasus finds room in the back towards the inside, having a lot of ground to make up, being eight links from the front. On the far turn, Hal's Hope is continuing to lead the way on the inside. By the 3/4 mile mark, Hal's Hope and Trippi are neck and neck of one another. We then see in the middle of the track that

Captain Steve Captain Steve (March 1, 1997 – April 21, 2013) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse. He was bred by Roger Laubach, raised by Cecil "Buddy" Williams, owned by Michael E. Pegram, and trained by Bob Baffert. A Chestnut foal by Fly So Free out ...

and Wheelaway have made advancing movements, and can see Fusaichi Pegasus in fifth place. Wheelaway takes lead by a head, with More Than Ready following in line. Fusaichi Pegasus comes flying on the outside, passing and taking the lead. Fusaichi Pegasus wins the Kentucky Derby by a leg and a half, with Aptitude following just behind.

References

{{Thoroughbred Racing on ABC

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

Derby Derby ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area on the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. Derbyshire is named after Derby, which was its original co ...

May 2000 sports events in the United States 2000s in Louisville, Kentucky

Kentucky Kentucky (, ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north, West Virginia to the ...

Background

Payout

Full results

Race description

See also

References