Medina Spirit pulled off an upset at the 2021 Kentucky Derby, holding the lead for the majority of Saturday’s race on the way to victory.
Bob Baffert, the trainer for Medina Spirit (12-1), set a Kentucky Derby record with his seventh career win at Churchill Downs. Even he appeared stunned with the result during a postrace interview.
“I just can’t believe it. It hasn’t sunken in yet,” Baffert said. “I love the record and all that, but it’s one of those things where I’m just so thrilled because, when you win it, you never know if you’re going to be back. . . . I couldn’t be prouder of my team.”
“He doesn’t know how much he costs. What a little race horse.”
Medina Spirit was bought for $1,000 as a yearling. Now, he’s a winner of the #KYDerby with 7-time winning trainer Bob Baffert. pic.twitter.com/pEvJFsQwBw
— NBC Sports (@NBCSports) May 1, 2021
Mandaloun and Hot Rod Charlie finished second and third, respectively, with prerace favorite Essential Quality landing fourth.
Sporting News provided live updates during the 2021 Kentucky Derby. Check out the full results below.
MORE: Payout breakdown for 2021 Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby finish order
| Order | Horse | Win | Place | Show |
| 1 | Medina Spirit | $26.20 | $12.00 | $7.60 |
| 2 | Mandaloun | $23.00 | $13.40 | |
| 3 | Hot Rod Charlie | $5.20 | ||
| 4 | Essential Quality | |||
| 5 | O Besos | |||
| 6 | Midnight Bourbon | |||
| 7 | Keepmeinmind | |||
| 8 | Helium | |||
| 9 | Known Agenda | |||
| 10 | Highly Motivated | |||
| 11 | Sainthood | |||
| 12 | Like The King | |||
| 13 | Bourbonic | |||
| 14 | Hidden Stash | |||
| 15 | Brooklyn Strong | |||
| 16 | Super Stock | |||
| 17 | Rock Your World | |||
| 18 | Dynamic One | |||
| 19 | Soup And Sandwich | |||
| 20 | King Fury (scratch) |
- Final time: 2:01.02
- $2 Exacta (8-7) paid $503.60
- $1 Trifecta (8-7-9) paid $1,696.90
- $1 Superfecta (8-7-9-14) paid $9,456.40
Watch the 2021 Kentucky Derby
Kentucky Derby live updates, highlights, results
(All times Eastern)
7:10 p.m. — Bob Baffert is now the winningest trainer in Kentucky Derby history.
7:05 p.m. — The unofficial top four: Medina Spirit, Mandaloun, Hot Rod Charlie and Essential Quality.
7:01 p.m. — Medina Spirit holds off the rest of the field to win the 2021 Kentucky Derby!
7 p.m. — Medina Spirit takes the early lead with Soup and Sandwich not far behind.
6:59 p.m. — And they’re off!
6:50 p.m. — Bring out the bugle. Almost race time.
6:35 p.m. — Looks like “Mattress Mack” found some loose change.
6:25 p.m. — More than 51,000 fans are ready to watch the 2021 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
The official attendance of 51,838 at today’s #KentuckyDerby is the largest crowd at an American sporting event since the pandemic began 14 months ago. It tops the Alabama spring football game, which hosted 47,218 a couple weeks ago.
— Hayes Gardner (@HayesGardner) May 1, 2021
6:15 p.m. — Wow. The Turf Classic ends in a dead heat.
5:55 p.m. — It’s time to play the “Tom Brady looks like…” game on Twitter.
5:45 p.m. — Of course Aaron Rodgers made a “Celebrity Jeopardy” reference with his Kentucky Derby name tag.
2021 Kentucky Derby post time
Coverage of the 2021 Kentucky Derby will begin at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC. The race, which has a post time of 6:57 p.m. ET, will be held at at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.
You can also stream the Derby live with fuboTV, which offers a seven-day free trial.
Kentucky Derby post positions
Below is the full list of starting spots, as well as each horse’s odds of winning the Kentucky Derby.
| Post position | Horse | Odds |
| 1 | Known Agenda | 6-1 |
| 2 | Like The King | 50-1 |
| 3 | Brooklyn Strong | 50-1 |
| 4 | Keepmeinmind | 50-1 |
| 5 | Sainthood | 50-1 |
| 6 | O Besos | 20-1 |
| 7 | Mandaloun | 15-1 |
| 8 | Medina Spirit | 15-1 |
| 9 | Hot Rod Charlie | 8-1 |
| 10 | Midnight Bourbon | 20-1 |
| 11 | Dynamic One | 20-1 |
| 12 | Helium | 50-1 |
| 13 | Hidden Stash | 50-1 |
| 14 | Essential Quality | 2-1 |
| 15 | Rock Your World | 5-1 |
| 16 | King Fury | 20-1 |
| 17 | Highly Motivated | 10-1 |
| 18 | Super Stock | 30-1 |
| 19 | Soup And Sandwich | 30-1 |
| 20 | Bourbonic | 30-1 |