Bodemeister toyed with the Arkansas field before winning the $1 Million Derby prep race
The 3-year-old colt, Bodemeister, was introduced by Bob Baffert only this year as a 3-year-old when he finished second in his debut race on 16 January at Santa Anita, and since then Bob Baffert with his large string of 3-year-olds for the 2012 campaign had Bodemeister as a Derby contender, and his emphatic win in the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby cries out take this Empire Maker colt seriously.
Thorough run by Bodemeister, who downed his overmatched competition by nine and a half massive lengths, as Bob Baffert dominated the stretch run between Bodemeister and Secret Circle, but Bodemeister hadn’t even begun to fight.
Bodemeister made the West coast, proud as he toyed with the field with a gate to wire finish, and just when it looked that he will tire and give way to his stable mate, Secret Circle, Bodemeister found a second wing and propelled himself to a magnificent victory with a winning time of 1 minute and 48.17 seconds.
Zayat Stables owned out of mare Untouched Talent by Storm Cat, Bodemeister will look to make up for Empire Maker’s second place finish in the Kentucky Derby. But what a feeling for someone who just recovered from a heart attack.
“I told both riders that I didn’t care what they did as long as they ran one-two. I let them each run their own race. Bodemeister really ran huge. It’s a great feeling to run one-two in a million dollar race.” said Bob Baffert.
Stable mate, Secret Circle, was the closest to the winning colt, who downed the runner up 9 and a half lengths as Sabercat finished third in the Arkansas Derby.
It must be a great feeling for trainer Bob Baffert to run one-two in a million dollar race, but despite that, it was all about Bodemeister.
He broke his maiden at second asking going a mile at Santa Anita, and then finished second to Creative Cause in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes on 10 March, 2012, and each time he has been stretched out in distance and after 1 1/8 miles in the Arkansas it looked as if he can go another 1/8, which is a brilliant sign for his connections.
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