May 10, 1913: The Longest Shot to Win the Kentucky Derby

May 10, 1913: Donerail, ridden by Roscoe Goose, wins the Kentucky Derby, at Churchill Downs in Louisville. He began the race with odds of 91-1. He remains the longest shot ever to win America's biggest horse race.

Under beautiful conditions, 12 horses were scheduled to race, but scratches reduced the number to 8. Donerail won what would later be called "the most exciting two minutes in sports" in 2 minutes, 4.8 seconds, a record that would stand for just 1 year. Ten Point, the betting favorite, was 2nd, half a length behind. Gowell was 3rd, an additional length behind.

It would be a long time before another genuine longshot won the Kentucky Derby, when Giacomo came from 50-1 to win it in 2005. But a few have done it since then: Mine That Bird was also 50-1 in 2009, Country House was 65-1 in 2019, and Rich Strike was 80-1 in 2022.

The longest shot ever to win the Preakness Stakes wasn't very long: The ironically-named Master Derby was 23-1 when he won in 1975. The Belmont Stakes is friendlier to really long shots: Sherluck was 65-1 when he won in 1961, Temperence Hill was 53-1 when he won in 1980, and Sarava was a race record 70-1 when he won in 2002.

Donerail continued to race until 1918. He is lost to history after that, and it is not known when he died. Jockey Roscoe Goose, a Louisville native, never won any other major races, and lived until 1971.

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May 10, 1913 was a Saturday. These baseball games were played that day:

* The New York Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers, 10-9 in 10 innings at Navin Field in Detroit. (That ballpark would later be renamed Briggs Stadium and Tiger Stadium.) Ty Cobb only appeared as a pinch-hitter, but had an RBI on a sacrifice fly.

* The New York Giants lost to the Chicago Cubs, 2-1 at the Polo Grounds.

* The Brooklyn Dodgers beat the Cincinnati Reds, 9-3 at Ebbets Field.

* The St. Louis Cardinals and the Boston Braves were tied, 1-1 after 12 innings at the South End Grounds, when the game was called due to darkness.

* The Philadelphia Phillies beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 6-0 at National League Park (later Baker Bowl) in Philadelphia. Eppa Rixey couldn't finish the job, and Tom Seaton had to pitch the last inning and 2/3rds, but the 12-hit shutout was completed.

* The Cleveland Naps beat the Boston Red Sox, 9-2 at League Park in Cleveland. Tris Speaker hit a home run for the Red Sox. Napoleon "Nap" Lajoie, the Cleveland team's 2nd baseman, best hitter, manager and namesake, went 0-for-3, but had an RBI on a sacrifice fly. "Shoeless Joe" Jackson went 2-for-3 with a walk and 3 RBIs. The Naps became the Cleveland Indians in 1915, after Lajoie left; and the Cleveland Guardians in 2022.

* The Washington Senators beat the Chicago White Sox, 1-0 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Walter Johnson pitched a 2-hit shutout.

* And the Philadelphia Athletics beat the St. Louis Browns, 8-6 in 10 innings at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis.