Even if you didn’t watch the Kentucky Derby over the weekend, you need to see the replay to watch Rich Strike, the colt with 80-1 odds, come from the back of the field to capture the roses. To make it even more like Hollywood, the horse wasn’t even entered in the race until another horse scratched on Friday, the day before the Derby. Rich Strike was purchased in the fall for $30,000 and this win — only its third ever! — earned the owner $1.86 million. Not a bad return on investment.
If you listen to the announcers, they don’t even mention Rich Strike until the final seconds when they are literally at the wire. Before that, all the focus was on the two favorites as they battled it out. It’s a scenario that plays out too often in real life, where all the attention is on the presumed leader, leaving an opening for an underdog (or underling) to successfully slide in.
Many were surprised that Rich Strike was even in the race, and even more shocked that such a long shot won it. But I’m pinning a picture of this beautiful colt in my office to remind me to persevere despite what others’ expectations may be. Even if your odds are 80-1, keep running.
