What's better in sports than the Derby?

The simple answer is: probably nothing.
The Kentucky Derby is as good as it gets in sports. If you can stomach two hours of mind-numbing pomp coupled with screenshots of the most disgustingly opulent people on earth, you are in for two minutes of high drama.
This year's race was gut-wrenching to say the least.


Here is how ESPN's Pat Forde saw the race:

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Thoroughbred racing at its best. Thoroughbred racing at its worst.
In a jarring matter of moments, the Kentucky Derby gave us both. It gave us an overpowering tour de force from Big Brown, stomping the competition despite inexperience and unfavorable post position. And it gave us a fatal injury after the race, when filly Eight Belles followed a sensational effort of her own to finish second by fracturing both ankles, falling to the track and being euthanized on the spot.
Brilliance and brittleness. Triumph and tragedy. A superstar performance and a ghastly postscript. It was an evening of violent mood swings at Churchill Downs.

And while Big Brown's performance in the final quarter mile was impressive, it pales in comparison to the performance of 50-1 underdog Giacomo in the 2005 Derby.
Check it out: