2012 Kentucky Derby will be a wide open affair
The 2012 138th running of the Grade 1, $2 million Kentucky Derby over a distance of 1 ¼ miles on the Churchill Downs dirt track at 5 May is going to be a truly exciting race with no main protagonist to stamp his authority over the rest of the
contestants.
This mouth watering “ greatest 2 minutes in Sports” doesn’t truly have a stand out, but with a glance on paper many would disagree, but on the Derby trail, many main contenders have beaten the ones who were suppose to take the Derby and become the certain
choice for a winner.
It surely is a wide open affair, but with fewer injuries to the main Derby contenders this year, there are nine contenders from the last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile participating in the Kentucky Derby on 5 May, which is a record itself.
The Derby field is a well-matched field and the Zayat Stable’s 4 to 1 at morning line favourite, Bodemeister, and the son of 2003 Kentucky Derby runner up, Empire Maker, has come to terms with racing a little late than the others.
He wasn’t a part of the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last fall at Churchill Downs, but he has turned some heads on the Derby trail for sure.
The colt, who hasn’t been out in the limelight for some time now, and probably will take everyone on is Take Charge Indy, who according to Patrick Byrne runs best when he is fresh.
It was a massive victory for him in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, where he downed the son of Dixie Union, Union Rags.
A homebred for Phyllis Wyeth's Chadds Ford Stable, Union Rags has done little wrong in his six start career, and he will be right up there with Hansen, and rest of the elite company.
Michael Matz who won it with, Barbaro, six years ago is back with another top notch performer, Hansen.
"It's a great feeling to be back here after six years (since Barbaro's victory), especially with a horse who has a good chance," Matz said. "It doesn't happen too often. I was lucky enough once, and it's hard to believe you can get lucky twice."
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