Animal Kingdom, owned by Team Valor International and Barry Irwin, pulled off a stunning upset win Saturday at Churchill Downs, surging past Nehro at the 1/8th pole to cross the finish line 2 3/4 lengths ahead. Nehro finished second by a neck over sentimental favorite Mucho Macho Man.


“I’m surprised,” Irwin said immediately after the win. “I know a lot of history and I just didn’t see it happening. When it did, it was surprising and overwhelming, really.”


The history Irwin referred to was the fact that no horse had ever won the Kentucky Derby without having raced on dirt. Even though Animal Kingdom came into Louisville having won the Turfway Vinery in Florence, Ky., and having never finished worse than second in four races, he wasn’t mentioned among the top tier.


Not only was the horse unproven, he had a new rider. John Velazquez went from the lowest depths of depression to Kentucky Derby winner in 24 hours. Originally scheduled to ride Uncle Mo, Velazquez found himself without a mount after the favorite scratched on Friday because of a nagging and as yet undiagnosed intestinal problem.


But within hours, Irwin had wrangled Velazquez to ride Animal Kingdom after the horse’s regular jockey, Robby Albarado, broke his nose in a post parade at Churchill Downs. When Albarado didn’t ride in the Kentucky Oaks on Friday, Irwin made the change.


“I feel bad for Robby,” Velazquez said. “I know he got hurt. I know you are not on him, but I know you were with me.”