2012 Kentucky Derby Results & Payouts

While the 138^th running of the Kentucky Derby lived up to all the hype, it certainly wasn’t for the faint of heart, especially for those rooting/betting on Bodemeister. Bob Baffert’s performance at Churchill Downs Saturday was much like his betting lines: Bodemeister dominated up until the end.

However, when the dust settled, it was 12/1 underdog I’ll Have Another crossing the finish line first with a time of 2:01.83. With a chance to become the first horse to win the coveted Triple Crown, I’ll Have Another trainer, Doug O’Neill immediately announced his horse will be making a trip to Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore in two weeks time.

“Maryland, here we come, baby!” he said. “When you tell people you’re in the horse racing game, they ask you, ‘Have you won the Kentucky Derby?’ Now I can say, ‘Yes, I have, 2012.’”

All week long Kentucky Derby oddsmakers, including Churchill Downs’ longtime probabilities man, Mike Battaglia, showed a borderline obsession with Bodemeister as the betting favorite and the horse to beat.

It remained that was until Saturday morning, when Union Rags all of the sudden overtook Bodemeister in the Kentucky Derby odds standings. Now, substitute Union Rags with I’ll Have Another and you have a direct reenactment of what took place at Churchill Downs Saturday night.

Once those gates opened, it was clear who the best horse on the field was, as Bodemeister speed and agility showed. It was exactly what Battaglia had predicted when he put his 2012 Kentucky Derby odds together: Bodemeister was too fast and too strong to be beaten based on his performance in Arkansas.

“His Arkansas Derby was just a freaky good race,” Battaglia said in the days leading up to the 138^th Run for the Roses. “You know how people look at the numbers, look at times. That was by far the fastest any of the 3-year-olds have run. It shows this horse had definite talent and could be brilliant. It was as simple as that.”

Brilliant Bodemeister was, even as the 20-horse field made the final turn. In what was supposed to be one of the most competitive races in recent memory, Bodemeister was making a mockery out of it with one furlong to go.

“I know my horse was reaching every single step of the way, but I wasn’t going to stop riding until I was passing the wire,” said rookie jockey, Mario Gutierrez. “That is when the horse race is finished.”

However, that’s when the little light began dimming out a little bit and what appeared to be a wire-job started looking less and less likely with every stride I’ll Have Another made.

“I knew we were in trouble when I saw Doug’s horse coming,” said Bodemeister’s jockey, Mike Smith.

In the end, I’ll Have Another defeated Bodemeister by 1 1-2 lengths, paying out $32.60, $13.80 and $9 to all those that believed in his abilities. After being so close from winning his fourth Kentucky Derby, Baffert spoke about the second-place effort that wasn’t to be.

“He’s a brilliant horse, and that’s the way he wanted to run,” said the Hall of Famer of Bodemeister. “He’s a very fast horse and I didn’t want to change his style.”

The question that people will be asking for the next two weeks will be: Can I’ll Have Another win the second leg of the Triple Crown at the 2012 Preakness Stakes? Check out what our horse racing betting experts have to say in regards to that and get free picks for “The Second Jewel of the Triple Crown” now!

• 1. I’ll Have Another
• 2. Bodemeister
• 3. Dullahan
• 4. Went The Day Well
• 5. Creative Cause
• 6. Liaison
• 7. Union Rags
• 8. Rousing Sermon
• 9. Hansen
• 10. Daddy Nose Best
• 11. Optimizer
• 12. Alpha
• 13. El Padrino
• 14. Done Talking
• 15. Sabercat
• 16. Gemologist
• 17. Trinniberg
• 18. Prospective
• 19. Take Charge Indy
• 20. Daddy Long Legs