Union Rags was among
big losers on Derby Day
Horse looked great entering race but got worst trip of any in the 20-horse field
By James Scully
updated 10:40 p.m. ET May 5, 2012
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - I’ll Have Another earned his place in history with a tremendous performance in the Kentucky Derby, rallying strongly to overhaul Bodemeister in America’s biggest horse race. The Doug O’Neill-trained winner will look to carry his momentum forward two weeks later in the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico.
In front of a record crowd of 165,307 at Churchill Downs, I’ll Have Another was the star of the show. He is quite the equine athlete, a beautiful mover with long, ground-eating strides, and received an ideal trip in the congested 20-horse field.
Post 19 turned out to be a blessing considering how the race unfolded, with unsung jockey Mario Gutierrrez keeping I’ll Have Another in the clear most of the way before starting to pick up steam on the far turn. The chestnut colt didn’t lose much ground despite the outside port and was in the perfect position to catch the speed in the latter stages.
I’ll Have Another flew home to win the Run for the Roses, but he wasn’t the only horse to distinguish himself on Saturday.
Runnerup Bodemeister lost nothing in defeat, running his eyeballs out in a remarkable effort. The field was loaded with early speed, but Bodemeister sped away from the starting gate and showed the way into the first turn. The Bob Baffert trainee was flying early — his opening fractions of :22.32, :45.39 and 1:09.80 were some of the fastest in the 138-year history of the Kentucky Derby — and Bodemeister was doing it easily.
The frontrunner turned for home with a huge lead, threatening to win in a landslide, but started to run out gas due to his early exploits. Bodemeister still managed to hold for second and is a superbly talented colt. He will win some major prizes down the road if he remains healthy.
Dullahan deserves praise for his finish. The big question surrounding him was dirt — he was proven on only turf and synthetics — but he put any concerns to rest with his third-place effort.
After breaking inward at the start, Dullahan took back in order to make his customary late run. He was a little wide on the far turn and then swung out to the middle of the track for the stretch run, closing determinedly to just miss second by a neck. The lost ground did him no favors, and Dullahan is potentially a major factor going forward this year.
Went the Day Well receives a commendable mark for his fourth-place showing. He dropped back near the tail of the field in the early stages and was steadied in traffic on the far turn, forcing him to alter course in search of a clear path. The 30-1 longshot looked hopelessly beaten turning for home, but he kicked it into overdrive and came charging into contention in deep stretch only to run out of ground in the end. The troubled trip may have cost him second as Went the Day Well outran his 30-1 odds.
Kentucky Derby Video: I'll Have Another overtakes Bodemeister down the stretch to win. |
When it comes to racing luck, there was no bigger loser than Union Rags. He was squeezed at the start, forcing him back to the rear of the field, and had nowhere to run most of the race while stuck down on the inside. Sent off as the 5-1 second favorite, Union Rags experienced the worst journey in the field, rallying belatedly to finish a non-threatening seventh, and was capable of much better with a clean trip.
Creative Cause was checked entering the first turn, costing him ground as he was shuffled back, but his jockey got him into the clear on the backstretch and the gray colt made a nice move to reach a threatening position turning for him. He came up a little short in deep stretch, but Creative Cause did not disgrace himself in fifth.
Champion two-year-old Hansen had no excuses, checking in a tiring ninth.
Gemologist, the 8-1 third choice in the wagering, was extremely disappointing. He got away cleanly, racing in the clear in a threatening position until the far turn, and then came up empty, retreating all the way back to 16th in a total clunker.
Take Charge Indy had no excuses — he just failed to show up with anything resembling his performances earlier this year in Florida. Jockey Calvin Borel placed Take Charge Indy in a perfect spot during the early stages, but his mount threw in the towel upon reaching the far turn and beat only one horse, Daddy Long Legs, who didn’t even finish as he was eased up late.
Daddy Long Legs shipped in from Ireland for the Kentucky Derby, but he was woefully unprepared for the experience.
© 2011 Bloodstock Research Information Services
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