LOUISVILLE, Ky. _ In the minutes after Authentic dug deep in the stretch and outdueled heavily favored Tiz the Law to give Bob Baffert yet another Kentucky Derby victory, the trainer offered a clear opinion on what produced the upset.
Baffert looked toward Authentic's jockey, John Velazquez, and said simply, "That guy won it for me today."
Getting a bold ride from his Hall of Fame jockey, Authentic charged to the lead in the first turn and held off a determined charge by Tiz the Law at the top of the stretch to win the 146th Kentucky Derby by 1 \ lengths in a time of 2:00.61.
"I've been fortunate to have these great jockeys winning these races for me," Baffert said after claiming his record-tying sixth Kentucky Derby victory. "But (this Derby) was won by Johnny. The way he handled this horse, a speed horse like this and then the way he finished, that's got to be one of (the great all-time rides)."
From the last post position, Velazquez kept Authentic on the outside all the way into the first turn.
The jockey let the naturally speedy Authentic settle into the lead by the first turn.
Authentic never gave it up.
Meanwhile, Tiz the Law, already the Belmont Stakes and Travers Stakes winner, settled into his familiar stalking position just off the lead.
"I kind of let him loose where he was comfortable," Velazquez said of Authentic. "Then, I waited until the horses came right next to him to get after him (with the whip)."
When Tiz the Law appeared to draw all but even with Authentic at the top of the stretch, even Baffert said he expected the favorite to prevail.
In Authentic's previous race, a victory in the Haskell Stakes at Monmouth with jockey Mike Smith riding, Ny Traffic had nearly rallied past him in the deep stretch.
That showing was why many were convinced Authentic would not like the extra one-eighth of a mile required in the Kentucky Derby.
"Bob kept telling me, 'You've just got to make sure you save that eighth of a mile, that eighth of a mile," Velazquez said.
Authentic's victory gave Velazquez his third Kentucky Derby win, becoming only the 11th jockey to claim as many as three.
Velazquez's third win in America's greatest horse race came with a surreal Derby Day experience. Due to the coronavirus, the cavernous Churchill Downs grandstands were empty of fans.
Meanwhile, America's summer of reckoning over issues of race was very much present outside Churchill Downs.
Late in the afternoon, protesters calling for justice for Breonna Taylor, a Black woman fatally shot by Louisville police officers in March, marched by the track.
Asked about the protests, Velazquez said, "If we had true equality for all, we wouldn't be in the mess we are now in."
At 48, the Carolina, Puerto Rico, native is the third-oldest jockey to win the Derby, behind Bill Shoemaker (54 in 1986 on Ferdinand) and Mike Smith (52 in 2018 on Justify).
That Velazquez has become one of the all-time great Derby jockeys is a testament to perseverance. It once seemed that it was his fate to be tormented for all eternity by the Kentucky Derby.
Three straight years _ Quality Road (2009), Eskendereya (2010) and Uncle Mo (2011) _ Velazquez was slated to ride a Derby favorite.
All three had to be scratched due to injuries in the days before they raced.
In 2013, Velazquez had the choice of Derby rides between trainer Todd Pletcher's Verrazano and Shug McGaughey's Orb.
Velazquez chose to ride for Pletcher, his long-time patron.
Orb won the Derby.
In the face of such adversity, Velazquez kept coming back to Louisville.
Eventually, his fortunes turned.
In 2011, jockey Robby Albarado suffered an injury days before the Kentucky Derby and was taken off the horse Animal Kingdom.
Having already lost Uncle Mo to injury, Velazquez picked up the mount and rode Animal Kingdom to that elusive Kentucky Derby victory.
In 2017, Velazquez and Pletcher combined to claim the Derby with Always Dreaming.
This year, Mike Smith could have ridden Authentic but instead chose Honor A. P. as his Derby horse.
Asked what horse he would have ridden in the 2020 Kentucky Derby if Smith had stayed on Authentic, Velazquez said, "I'd have probably been at home."
Instead, with a ride that wowed even Baffert, John Velazquez etched his name even deeper into Kentucky Derby lore.
