EXPLAINER: How 81-1 shot Rich Strike won the Kentucky Derby

Owners with fewer than 10 career wins don’t win the Kentucky Derby.Rich Strike and his connections disagree with those sentiments.One of the biggest upsets in racing history happened Saturday in the Kentucky Derby, when Rich Strike shocked the establishment by running past everyone and winning the first leg of this year’s Triple Crown series.Those who bet $2 to win on Rich Strike got $163.60 in return. If one of the 20 horses that qualified didn’t scratch (the racing word for withdraw) from the race before 9 a.m. Friday, Rich Strike’s Derby plan would have ended.At 8:45 a.m. Friday, the call came: No scratches. Reed got another call at 8:55 telling him not to move the horse, then another call a minute or two later with the official word.They were in.“What just happened?” Reed asked.Turns out, history was starting to happen.HOW DID HE WIN?Think of the horses like race cars. — blazing fast, 45.36 seconds,” Collmus said.Those fuel tanks were emptying far faster than anticipated.At that half-mile mark, Rich Strike was ahead of only two horses.