Always Dreaming splashed through the slop to win the Kentucky Derby by 2 lengths on Saturday, giving trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey John Velazquez their second victories in the race but their first together.Pletcher and Velazquez have teamed up often over the years and are the sport's leading money winners. On their own, they were a combined 2 for 63 coming into America's greatest race.Together, they were unbeatable on a cool and rainy at Churchill Downs.Sent off at 9-2 odds, Always Dreaming made it the fifth straight year that a Derby favorite has won, the longest such stretch since the 1970s.Always Dreaming was followed across the finish line by a pair of longshots: 33-1 Lookin At Lee and 40-1 Battle of Midway.Always Dreaming ran 1 miles in 2:03.59 and paid $11.40, $7.20 and $5.80.Lookin At Lee returned $26.60 and $18.20, while Battle of Midway was another five lengths back in third and paid $20.80 to show.Pletcher won his first Derby in 2010 with Super Saver; Velazquez won the following year with Animal Kingdom.Classic Empire finished fourth, followed by Practical Joke, Tapwrit, Gunnevera, McCraken, Gormley and Irish War Cry. Julien Leparoux was aboard for trainer Buff Bradley as Divisidero ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:52.42. "We have a whole lot of folks that come in, some of whom have a significant presence here, some of whom are interested in Kentucky," the Republican governor said. “Being behind me for 24 years together, a long time for him to still trust in me and give me the opportunity, it’s not very often it happens in this business.”

Lookin At Lee returned $26.60 and $18.20, while Battle of Midway was another five lengths back in third and paid $20.80 to show. Though the final time was a relatively slow 2:03.59 on a sloppy track, Always Dreaming sat second off a fast pace through the first half mile, took the lead heading into the far turn and impressively opened up when Velazquez asked him to accelerate. “The second I had to ask him to straighten up and once I got under the wire for the first time, I was happy where I was. The colt that gave trainer Todd Pletcher his second Derby win also became the fifth consecutive betting favourite to wear the roses. Under sunny skies but on a muddy track from an earlier rain, Always Dreaming went off as the co-favorite at 9/2 (along with Irish War Cry).
Always Dreaming wins the 143rd running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. Looking at Lee finished second and Battle of Midway was third.