Louisville, Kentucky's Churchill Downs saw the 138th annual Kentucky Derby today, and in the end 14-1 I'll Have another took the 2012 Running of the Roses after overtaking Bodemeister in the stretch. 9/2 favorite Union Rags had a disappointing outing, getting stuck in traffic and finishing in the crowd. Bodemeister held the lead for much of the race before succumbing to I'll Have Another in the final stretch. Dullahan came in third.
I'll Have Another was in the 19th pole position, which proved to be an advantage when traffic at the rail robbed other contenders at their chances. Bodemeister ran a strong race, putting up brutal splits and even taking on Trinniberg, a horse with a much stronger sprinting capability. In the end, it was not enough as I'll Have Another closed the distance on the stretch and finally took the lead with around 100 yards to go.
For full 2012 Kentucky Derby analysis, don't miss SB Nation's horse racing blog And Down The Stretch They Come.