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.