Kentucky Derby 2015 video: American Pharoah wins 141st ‘Run for the Roses’

American Pharoah outran a solid field to win the 2015 Kentucky Derby and become the latest horse to claim the “Run for the Roses” and the first leg of a possible Triple Crown. If you missed the race from Churchill Downs or want to watch American Pharoah’s strong run, click above for a full video of the race.

Dortmund helped set the early pace of the race after breaking well. American Pharoah wasn’t far behind, sitting in fourth in the early going. Dortmund led coming up the back stretch with Firing Line in second and American Pharoah in third. Firing Line made the first move, with American Pharoah also making a strong move. The three horses came down to the wire with American Pharoah just having enough to edge out Firing Line for the win. The victory gives Victor Espinoza back-to-back Kentucky Derby wins

American Pharoah opened as the morning line favorite and remained the favorite leading into the race, with Dortmund a strong challenger. Other horses including Carpe Diem, Frosted and Firing Line also entered the race with odds of at least 9-1. The track for the 141st Kentucky Derby was set up for a fast race thanks to excellent weather. That helped the horses get a clean break out of the gate and set a strong pace early on. The field was reduced a bit this year -- three horses scratched in the days leading up to the race, leaving an 18-horse field.

With the win, American Pharoah claimed the first leg of the Triple Crown and will now get the opportunity to be the first horse since Affirmed in 1978 to claim the Triple Crown. There have been a few threats to the Triple Crown in recent years, including last year when California Chrome won the first two legs before coming up short at Belmont. I’ll Have Another in 2012 and Big Brown in 2008 also won the first two legs before failing to complete the Triple Crown with wins at the Belmont Stakes.