Danza upsets Derby field

40-1 longshot wins by five lengths

Jockey Joe Bravo aboard Danza crosses the finish line to win Saturday's Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs Saturday.
Jockey Joe Bravo aboard Danza crosses the finish line to win Saturday's Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs Saturday.

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (AP) — Danza pulled away on the home stretch to shock a star-packed field in the Arkansas Derby on Saturday, giving trainer Todd Pletcher his second straight victory in the $1 million race.

The colt went off at 40-1 at Oaklawn Park and beat Ride on Curlin by 4¾ lengths, running 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.68 in the Kentucky Derby prep.

Ridden by Joe Bravo, Danza paid $84.60, $28.40 and $11 and earned 100 points in the Kentucky Derby standings. Ride on Curlin returned $7 and $4, and pre-race favorite and Bob Baffert-trained Bayern paid $4 to show.

Tapiture, who won the Southwest Stakes and was second in the Rebel Stakes, finished fourth.

Pletcher won last year with Overanalyze.

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