2012 Kentucky Derby
On Saturday, the 138th Kentucky Derby® at Churchill Downs® produced another unlikely champion in the "Run for the Roses." I'll Have Another, a 15-1 long shot, managed a thrilling sprint down the stretch, nosing out odds favorite Bodemeister for the first leg of horse racing's Triple Crown.
A record crowd of 165,307 was on hand at Churchill Downs for this year's Kentucky Derby, topping the 164,858 announced last year.
Bodemeister sprinted for the early lead and set a quick opening quarter. He took command of the field after an opening half mile in :45.39 with Trinniberg and Hansen on his heels.
The odds favorite Bodemeister continued his lead going into the first mile in 1:35.19. Only four horses have run faster miles in the Kentucky Derby and it looked as if Bodemeister would go wire-to-wire for the win.
Going into the final turn, Hansen gave chase while I'll Have Another came into the lane four wide. Dullahan and Went the Day Well all closed in on Bodemeister, but it was I'll Have Another who wore down the leader to win the "Run for the Roses."
I'll Have Another will now have an opportunity to try for wins at the Preakness and Belmont Stakes in hopes of becoming the first Triple Crown winner since 1978. Watch the Race»
2012 Kentucky Oaks: History Made!
Sloppy conditions did not stop Believe You Can from capturing the 138th Kentucky Oaks! Ridden by Rosie Npravnik, Believe You Can was engaged in a duel with Broadway's Alibi. Pulling away in the final furlong, Believe You Can captured the $1 million Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks making Napravnik the first female jockey to win the Oaks in its history.
Broadway's Alibi finished second and morning/post line favorite Grace Hall finished third.
Believe You Can is a three-year-old filly by Proud Citizen out of an El Prado (IRE) mare (El Fasto) trained by Larry Jones and owned by former Kentucky Governor Brereton Jones. Watch the Race»
How they Finished
Below is the final racing order of the 2012 Kentucky Derby and Oaks compared to my final projected contenders list:
| 2012 Kentucky Derby Results |
Final Contender Predictions |
2012 Kentucky Oaks Results |
Final Contender Predictions |
| I'll Have Another |
Union Rags |
Believe You Can |
Grace Hall |
| Bodemeister |
Bodemeister |
Broadway's Alibi |
Believe You Can |
| Dullahan |
Gemologist |
Grace Hall |
On Fire Baby |
| Went the Day Well |
Dullahan |
Summer Applause |
Summer Applause |
| Creative Cause |
Creative Cause |
On Fire Baby |
Eden's Moon |
| Liaison |
Hansen |
Hard Not to Like |
Mamma Kimbo |
| Union Rags |
I'll Have Another |
Sacristy |
Karlovy Vary |
| Rousing Sermon |
Daddy Nose Best |
Amie's Dini |
Broadway's Alibi |
| Hansen |
Alpha |
And Why Not |
Yara |
| Daddy Nose Best |
Take Charge Indy |
Jemima's Pearl |
And Why Not |
How did you do with your predictions? Tell us below!
Attend the 2013 Kentucky Derby & Oaks
Want to attend the 2013 Kentucky Derby? Derby Experiences® is proud to be the Official Experience Package Provider to Churchill Downs® for the Kentucky Derby® and the Kentucky Oaks®.Through our partnership with Churchill Downs®, we will provide an unforgettable experience for you and your guests. Find my seats now»
Top 10 Contender Picks for the Kentucky Derby®
Updated: May 3, 2012. It is officially Kentucky Derby week! This week's top 10 contenders list compares my top 10 Kentucky Derby® contenders with two expert's picks: John Asher and Loren Hebel-Osborne.
*Unique Pick for Each Analyst
Tweet your top contender for the 2012 Kentucky Derby®»
Breaking Down the Picks
Union Rags is the consensus top pick for the 2012 Kentucky Derby. He is currently second in the overall odds at (9-2), but has been the top overall contender throughout the Derby prep season. He performed very well in his prep races winning three times in his last five races. He had a severe slip in March's Florida Derby, which was the only blemish in his Derby preps. If you haven't selected your pick for this year's Derby, make sure you give Union Rags a strong consideration for Saturday's big race.
The early odds favorite to win this year's Derby is Bodemeister at (4-1). I have him ranked second in my final rankings due to his post position draw yesterday. Bodemeister is in the No. 6 post, where six Kentucky Derby winners have started. Bodemeister, trained by three-time Derby winner Bob Baffert, is the stronger of his two horses, having won the Arkansas Derby by 9 1/2 lengths in the most dominating performance of the Derby prep races.
Dullahan, currently at (8-1) odds, is starting in the 5th post position for this year's Derby. Twelve Kentucky Derby® champions have started out of the fifth post, the most of any post position. Dullahan is coming off a victory at the April 14th Toyota Blue Grass, which was his second win in his Derby preps. With the history of the 5th post position and his recent performance in his Derby preps, Dullahan will be a safe bet in Saturday's Kentucky Derby®.
See the 2012 Kentucky Derby® Post Positions»
See the latest odds for the 2012 Kentucky Derby®»
Post Times are Now Available! Click Here to see the Full Race Schedule»
Kentucky Derby: By the Numbers*
- Approximately 30,000 thoroughbred foals born in the US
- 15,000 ( Half!) will make it in a race but their careers will end before they have a victory
- 10,000 will be good enough to run in an allowance race
- 450 will run in a graded stakes race but not have enough earnings to make it into the Kentucky Derby
- 20 will run
- And, only 1 will win
*Statistics courtesy of the Kentucky Derby Museum
About the Experts
John Asher joined Churchill Downs® in 1997 as a publicist and racing analyst, and moved to his current role as vice president of Racing Communications two years later. Before his arrival at Churchill Downs, Asher earned five media Eclipse Awards for Outstanding National Radio Coverage of Thoroughbred Racing at Louisville radio stations WHAS and WAVG.
Loren Hebel-Osborne maintains an active racing and breeding farm just outside of Louisville. She often serves as a guest speaker and racing analyst for schools, clubs, corporate events and local news stations WHAS-TV and WBKI’s “Louisville Live” for Kentucky Derby® and Breeders’ Cup coverage. Loren also spent 15 years with VISA where she was involved in all aspects of managing its sponsorship of the Triple Crown and the Kentucky Derby®.
Who is your favorite in this year's Kentucky Derby? Share your thoughts below.
Attend the 2013 Kentucky Derby
Want to attend the 2013 Kentucky Derby? Derby Experiences® is proud to be the Official Experience Package Provider to Churchill Downs® for the Kentucky Derby® and the Kentucky Oaks®.Through our partnership with Churchill Downs®, we will provide an unforgettable experience for you and your guests.
The Kentucky Oaks® is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually at Churchill Downs® on the day preceding the Kentucky Derby®.
The race currently covers 1 1/8 miles and the winner of the Kentucky Oaks® is presented with a Garland of Lilies draped around the filly's withers.
Top 10 Contender Picks for the Kentucky Oaks®
Updated: Tuesday, April 24, 2012. This week's top 10 contenders list compares my top 10 Kentucky Oaks® contenders with two expert's picks: John Asher and Loren Hebel-Osborne.
Next Update: Tuesday, May 1, 2012. Be sure to subscribe to the Derby Experiences blog and follow QuintEvents on Facebook and Twitter @QuintEvents for updates on the Kentucky Derby® and
Kentucky Oaks®.
*Unique Pick for Each Analyst
Tweet your top contender for the 2012 Kentucky Oaks®»
Breaking Down the Picks
This week's contenders list features some shuffling at the top with the Oaks less than two weeks away! John Asher and Loren Hebel-Osborne have On Fire Baby as their number one Kentucky Oaks® contender. At 13-1 odds, On Fire Baby had the fifth best odds in the future wager for the May 4th race. She won the March 10, Grade 3, $125,000 Honeybee Stakes at Oaklawn Park and had a strong third place finish in January's Smarty Jones Stakes. She has been the heavy favorite in each of her Oaks preps, so look for her to be the overall favorite for the 2012 Kentucky Oaks®.
My new number one contender for this year's Kentucky Oaks® is Grace Hall. She was second in the in the Oaks' future wager odds at 8-1 and is coming off a victory in March's Gulfstream Oaks. She's currently first in graded stakes earnings at $740,000 and has been impressive in her past three races. Grace Hall is a safe bet for this year's race and should be highly considered on your Oaks' wager ticket.
Princess Arabella, my previous number one contender, was retired last week due to an inflamed tendon injury. Her trainer Bob Baffert stated that Princess Arabella will not undergo surgery and has been sent to Taylor Made Farm in Nicholasville, KY., for recovery. Unbeaten in three starts, Princess Arabella was considered a leading candidate for the Kentucky Oaks® at Churchill Downs on May 4.
See the current odds on the Kentucky Oaks contenders»
See the Kentucky Oaks® prep race schedule»
About the Experts
John Asher joined Churchill Downs® in 1997 as a publicist and racing analyst, and moved to his current role as vice president of Racing Communications two years later.
Loren Hebel-Osborne maintains an active racing and breeding farm just outside of Louisville. She often serves as a guest speaker and racing analyst for schools, clubs, corporate events and local news stations WHAS-TV and WBKI’s “Louisville Live” for Kentucky Derby® and Breeders’ Cup coverage. Loren also spent 15 years with VISA where she was involved in all aspects of managing its sponsorship of the Triple Crown and the Kentucky Derby®.
Who is your favorite in this year's Kentucky Oaks? Share your thoughts below.
Ready for the first Friday and Saturday in May? See your contenders face off at Churchill Downs® in the "Run for the Roses" at the Kentucky Derby® and Kentucky Oaks®! Get Official Ticket Packages from
Churchill Downs® now!
Updated: April 23, 2012. This week's top 10 contenders list compares my top 10 Kentucky Derby® contenders with two expert's picks: John Asher and Loren Hebel-Osborne.
Next Update: Our final Kentucky Derby® Contender update will be Wednesday, May 2, 2012, with the announcement of the post positions. Be sure to subscribe to the Derby Experiences blog and follow QuintEvents on Facebook and Twitter @QuintEvents for updates on this year’s Kentucky Derby®.
Top 10 Contender Picks for the Kentucky Derby®
*Unique Pick for Each Analyst
Tweet your top contender for the 2012 Kentucky Derby®»
Breaking Down the Picks
Many of this week's top 10 contenders remain unchanged from last week. Union Rags continues to hold strong as the top contender for the 2012 Kentucky Derby®. Ranked number one in both Asher and my rankings, Union Rags is still the odds favorite (9-2). He had a severe slip in March's Florida Derby, which was the only blemish in his Derby preps. He has three wins in his last five races, and should have the best odds heading into the 2012 Kentucky Derby®.
Loren Hebel-Osborne has Hansen as her top contender in this week's rankings. She stated, "I have been on the Hansen bandwagon, and I don't think that now is the time to step off. I believe the colt will move up again when he moves back onto the Churchill dirt surface." The Kentucky-bred Hansen could have a home-field advantage at Churchill Downs® and should remain a top pick for this year's Derby.
On a disappointing note, Secret Circle has pulled out of the 2012 Kentucky Derby® due to injury. Veterinary tests revealed a sesamoid injury that will sideline Secret Circle for as long as four months. The three-year-old colt became a legitimate contender after wins at the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint at Churchill Downs last November, and the Southwest and Rebel Stakes at the Oaklawn track in Hot Springs, AR., in late-winter.
See the latest odds for the 2012 Kentucky Derby®»
Post Times are Now Available! Click Here to see the Full Race Schedule»
About the Experts
John Asher joined Churchill Downs® in 1997 as a publicist and racing analyst, and moved to his current role as vice president of Racing Communications two years later. Before his arrival at Churchill Downs, Asher earned five media Eclipse Awards for Outstanding National Radio Coverage of Thoroughbred Racing at Louisville radio stations WHAS and WAVG.
Loren Hebel-Osborne maintains an active racing and breeding farm just outside of Louisville. She often serves as a guest speaker and racing analyst for schools, clubs, corporate events and local news stations WHAS-TV and WBKI’s “Louisville Live” for Kentucky Derby® and Breeders’ Cup coverage. Loren also spent 15 years with VISA where she was involved in all aspects of managing its sponsorship of the Triple Crown and the Kentucky Derby®.
Who is your favorite in this year's Kentucky Derby? Share your thoughts below.
Ready for the first Saturday in May? See your contenders face off at Churchill Downs® in the "Run for the Roses" at the Kentucky Derby®! Get Official Ticket Packages from Churchill Downs® now!
The Kentucky Oaks® is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually at Churchill Downs® on the day preceding the Kentucky Derby®.
The race currently covers 1 1/8 miles and the winner of the Kentucky Oaks® is presented with a Garland of Lilies draped around the filly's withers.
Top 10 Contender Picks for the Kentucky Oaks®
Updated: Tuesday, April 17, 2012. This week's top 10 contenders list compares my top 10 Kentucky Oaks® contenders with two expert's picks: John Asher and Loren Hebel-Osborne.
Next Update: Tuesday, April 24, 2012. Be sure to subscribe to the Derby Experiences blog and follow QuintEvents on Facebook and Twitter @QuintEvents for updates on the Kentucky Derby® and
Kentucky Oaks®.
*Unique Pick for Each Analyst
Tweet your top contender for the 2012 Kentucky Oaks®»
Breaking Down the Picks
This week's contenders list features three different names atop our expert's rankings. John Asher has Grace Hall as his top contender for the upcoming Kentucky Oaks®. Grace Hall is second in the current Oaks' odds at 8-1 and is coming off a victory in March's Gulfstream Oaks. Hebel-Osborne has On Fire Baby as her number one Kentucky Oaks® contender. At 13-1 odds, On Fire Baby currently has the fifth best odds for the May 4th race. She won the March 10, Grade 3, $125,000 Honeybee Stakes at Oaklawn Park and had a strong third place finish in January's Smarty Jones Stakes. She has been the heavy favorite in each of her Oaks preps, so look for her odds to improve before the Kentucky Oaks®.
My number one contender continues to be Princess Arabella. She is currently the 6-1 favorite for the Kentucky Oaks® and has performed well in her Oaks preps. She won the March 25 $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks in impressive fashion; winning the race by eight-lengths. She won all three of her Oaks preps starts and will likely be the odds favorite come race day.
Believe You Can was the biggest mover this week and is now ranked in the top six of each of our expert's rankings. Hebel-Osborne likes her chances in this year's Oaks citing the tactics of Believe You Can's trainer, Larry Jones. "Believe You Can moves onto the list with impressive victories at Fairgrounds. Trainer Larry Jones has a special niche for having his fillies peak at Churchill Downs that first weekend in May."
The latest addition to the Kentucky Oaks® contenders list is Mamma Kimbo. She was victorious in last Wednesday's Grade 2, $300,000 Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park. Mamma Kimbo opened her racing career with a 5 1/4-length maiden victory at Santa Anita on February 18. She was making just her second start in the Fantasy, and now boasts $213,600 in earnings to go with her perfect two-for-two mark. She will look to continue her winning streak with a victory at the Kentucky Oaks®, making it a perfect three-for-three in 2012!
See the current odds on the Kentucky Oaks contenders»
See the Kentucky Oaks® prep race schedule»
About the Experts
John Asher joined Churchill Downs® in 1997 as a publicist and racing analyst, and moved to his current role as vice president of Racing Communications two years later.
Loren Hebel-Osborne maintains an active racing and breeding farm just outside of Louisville. She often serves as a guest speaker and racing analyst for schools, clubs, corporate events and local news stations WHAS-TV and WBKI’s “Louisville Live” for Kentucky Derby® and Breeders’ Cup coverage. Loren also spent 15 years with VISA where she was involved in all aspects of managing its sponsorship of the Triple Crown and the Kentucky Derby®.
Who is your favorite in this year's Kentucky Oaks? Share your thoughts below.
Ready for the first Friday and Saturday in May? See your contenders face off at Churchill Downs® in the "Run for the Roses" at the Kentucky Derby® and Kentucky Oaks®! Get Official Ticket Packages from
Churchill Downs® now!
Updated: April 16, 2012. This week's top 10 contenders list compares my top 10 Kentucky Derby® contenders with two expert's picks: John Asher and Loren Hebel-Osborne.
Next Update: Your next Derby Contender update will be Monday, April 23, 2012. Be sure to subscribe to the Derby Experiences blog and follow QuintEvents on Facebook and Twitter @QuintEvents for updates on this year’s Kentucky Derby®.
Top 10 Contender Picks for the Kentucky Derby®
*Unique Pick for Each Analyst
Tweet your top contender for the 2012 Kentucky Derby®»
Breaking Down the Picks
Union Rags continues to hold strong as the top contender for the 2012 Kentucky Derby®. Ranked number one in both Asher and my rankings, Union Rags is still the odds favorite (9-2). He had a severe slip in March's Florida Derby, which was the only blemish in his Derby preps. He has three wins in his last five races, and should have the best odds heading into the 2012 Kentucky Derby®.
Loren Hebel-Osborne has Hansen as her top contender in this week's rankings. She stated, "I have been on the Hansen bandwagon, and I don't think that now is the time to step off. I believe the colt will move up again when he moves back onto the Churchill dirt surface." The Kentucky-bred Hansen could have a home-field advantage at Churchill Downs® and should remain a top pick for this year's Derby.
Dullahan and Bodemeister were the biggest movers in this week's rankings. Dullahan had a huge win in Saturday's Grade 1, $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes, establishing himself as a serious contender for the Kentucky Derby®. Hansen had the lead for most of the race, but Dullahan gobbled up ground to blow past Hansen in the final jumps. Hebel-Osborne took notice of Dullahan at this weekend's race, but is cautious about listing him as a high favorite. "While I love Dullahan, the colt has yet to win a race on the dirt surface and he is so dependent on a clean trip for that massive close, that I believe he will have too much to do within the Derby race."
Bodemeister solidified his trip to the 2012 Kentucky Derby® with a win at Saturday's Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby. Garnering only $60,000 in graded stakes earnings entering the race, Bodemeister needed a big race to earn a spot in the Derby. Bodemeister dominated in wire-to-wire fashion by 9 1/2 lengths, and ran himself into the Run for the Roses.
See the latest odds for the 2012 Kentucky Derby®»
Post Times are Now Available! Click Here to see the Full Race Schedule»
About the Experts
John Asher joined Churchill Downs® in 1997 as a publicist and racing analyst, and moved to his current role as vice president of Racing Communications two years later. Before his arrival at Churchill Downs, Asher earned five media Eclipse Awards for Outstanding National Radio Coverage of Thoroughbred Racing at Louisville radio stations WHAS and WAVG.
Loren Hebel-Osborne maintains an active racing and breeding farm just outside of Louisville. She often serves as a guest speaker and racing analyst for schools, clubs, corporate events and local news stations WHAS-TV and WBKI’s “Louisville Live” for Kentucky Derby® and Breeders’ Cup coverage. Loren also spent 15 years with VISA where she was involved in all aspects of managing its sponsorship of the Triple Crown and the Kentucky Derby®.
Who is your favorite in this year's Kentucky Derby? Share your thoughts below.
Ready for the first Saturday in May? See your contenders face off at Churchill Downs® in the "Run for the Roses" at the Kentucky Derby®! Get Official Ticket Packages from Churchill Downs® now!
The Kentucky Oaks® is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually at Churchill Downs® on the day preceding the Kentucky Derby®.
The race currently covers 1 1/8 miles and the winner of the Kentucky Oaks® is presented with a Garland of Lilies draped around the filly's withers.
Top 10 Contender Picks for the Kentucky Oaks®
Updated: Tuesday, April 10, 2012. This week's top 10 contenders list compares my top 10 Kentucky Oaks® contenders with two expert's picks: John Asher and Loren Hebel-Osborne.
Next Update: Tuesday, April 17, 2012. Be sure to subscribe to the Derby Experiences blog and follow QuintEvents on Facebook and Twitter @QuintEvents for updates on the Kentucky Derby® and
Kentucky Oaks®.
*Unique Pick for Each Analyst
Tweet your top contender for the 2012 Kentucky Oaks®»
Breaking Down the Picks
This week's top five contenders remains unchanged as the fillies reach the final weeks of their Kentucky Oaks® preps. Asher and Hebel-Osborne have On Fire Baby as their number one Kentucky Oaks® contender. At 13-1 odds, On Fire Baby currently has the fifth best odds for the May 5th race. She won the March 10, Grade 3, $125,000 Honeybee Stakes at Oaklawn Park and had a strong third place finish in January's Smarty Jones Stakes. She has been the heavy favorite in each of her Oaks preps, so look for her odds to improve before the Kentucky Oaks®.
My number one contender continues to be Princess Arabella. She is currently the 6-1 favorite for the Kentucky Oaks® and has performed well in her Oaks preps. She won the March 25 $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks in impressive fashion; winning the race by eight-lengths. She won all three of her Oaks preps starts and will likely be the odds favorite come race day.
The biggest shuffling in this week's rankings came in the 6-10 ranks. After this weekend's races, Broadway's Alibi and Karlovy Vary were added to the lists as top 10 contenders for the 2012 Kentucky Oaks®. Broadway's Alibi won by 3 1/2 lengths as an even money favorite in Saturday's Grade 3, $250,000 Comely Stakes at Aqueduct. This is her second Oaks prep victory and will give her strong consideration for the Kentucky Oaks®!
Karlovy Vary had the most impressive win of the weekend at Saturday's Grade 1, $500,000 Ashland Stakes. She went off as the second longest shot on the board at 15-1, but lead most of the way for her biggest victory of her young career. Both horses are performing strong and should be serious contenders for next month's Kentucky Oaks®!
See the current odds on the Kentucky Oaks contenders»
See the Kentucky Oaks® prep race schedule»
About the Experts
John Asher joined Churchill Downs® in 1997 as a publicist and racing analyst, and moved to his current role as vice president of Racing Communications two years later.
Loren Hebel-Osborne maintains an active racing and breeding farm just outside of Louisville. She often serves as a guest speaker and racing analyst for schools, clubs, corporate events and local news stations WHAS-TV and WBKI’s “Louisville Live” for Kentucky Derby® and Breeders’ Cup coverage. Loren also spent 15 years with VISA where she was involved in all aspects of managing its sponsorship of the Triple Crown and the Kentucky Derby®.
Who is your favorite in this year's Kentucky Oaks? Share your thoughts below.
Ready for the first Friday and Saturday in May? See your contenders face off at Churchill Downs® in the "Run for the Roses" at the Kentucky Derby® and Kentucky Oaks®! Get Official Ticket Packages from
Churchill Downs® now!
Updated: April 9, 2012. This week's top 10 contenders list compares my top 10 Kentucky Derby® contenders with two expert's picks: John Asher and Loren Hebel-Osborne.
Next Update: Your next Derby Contender update will be Monday, April 16, 2012. Be sure to subscribe to the Derby Experiences blog and follow QuintEvents on Facebook and Twitter @QuintEvents for updates on this year’s Kentucky Derby®.
Top 10 Contender Picks for the Kentucky Derby®
*Unique Pick for Each Analyst
Tweet your top contender for the 2012 Kentucky Derby®»
Breaking Down the Picks
For the first time, each expert has a different number one contender for the 2012 Kentucky Derby®! Union Rags again tops the list as my favorite for the Kentucky Derby®. Although his odds slipped slightly in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 3 (9-2), I still believe he will be the best horse going into the May race.
Loren Hebel-Osborne has Hansen as her top contender in this week's rankings. He was victorious at the Gotham at Aqueduct on March 3, and has finished first or second in each of his Derby preps. Hansen is currently second in the odds at (8-1), trailing only Union Rags as the 2012 Derby favorite. The Kentucky-bred Hansen could have a home-field advantage and generate a lot of attention over the next few weeks.
John Asher has Creative Cause as his top horse in this week’s rankings. One of the more active horses in the Derby preps, Creative Cause has performed well on his road to the "Run for the Roses." He finished second in this weekend’s Santa Anita Derby and finished first in the San Felipe on March 10. He performs well on long distance tracks and has improved his odds to (8-1) for the 2012 Kentucky Derby®.
Hebel-Osborne was forced to re-arrange her top 10 this week due to the fact that she has to be realistic about their chances of garnering enough graded stakes earnings. “While I’m expecting a very good effort from Howe Great this coming weekend in the Bluegrass Stakes, he would have to win to be in, and I’m not sure he can get to Hansen on a speed-biased Keeneland course.” Optimizer was another name that dropped off her list this week to make room for the addition of Went the Day Well and I’ll Have Another. “Went the Day Well moves into a top spot and lightly raced I’ll Have Another was so impressive in the Santa Anita Derby this weekend that I can’t leave him out!”
See the latest odds for the 2012 Kentucky Derby®»
Post Times are Now Available! Click Here to see the Full Race Schedule»
About the Experts
John Asher joined Churchill Downs® in 1997 as a publicist and racing analyst, and moved to his current role as vice president of Racing Communications two years later. Before his arrival at Churchill Downs, Asher earned five media Eclipse Awards for Outstanding National Radio Coverage of Thoroughbred Racing at Louisville radio stations WHAS and WAVG.
Loren Hebel-Osborne maintains an active racing and breeding farm just outside of Louisville. She often serves as a guest speaker and racing analyst for schools, clubs, corporate events and local news stations WHAS-TV and WBKI’s “Louisville Live” for Kentucky Derby® and Breeders’ Cup coverage. Loren also spent 15 years with VISA where she was involved in all aspects of managing its sponsorship of the Triple Crown and the Kentucky Derby®.
Who is your favorite in this year's Kentucky Derby? Share your thoughts below.
Ready for the first Saturday in May? See your contenders face off at Churchill Downs® in the "Run for the Roses" at the Kentucky Derby®! Get Official Ticket Packages from Churchill Downs® now!
The Kentucky Oaks® is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually at Churchill Downs® on the day preceding the Kentucky Derby®.
The race currently covers 1 1/8 miles and the winner of the Kentucky Oaks® is presented with a Garland of Lilies draped around the filly's withers.
Top 10 Contender Picks for the Kentucky Oaks®
Updated: Tuesday, April 3, 2012. This week's top 10 contenders list compares my top 10 Kentucky Oaks® contenders with two expert's picks: John Asher and Loren Hebel-Osborne.
Next Update: Tuesday, April 10, 2012. Be sure to subscribe to the Derby Experiences blog and follow QuintEvents on Facebook and Twitter @QuintEvents for updates on the Kentucky Derby® and
Kentucky Oaks®.
*Unique Pick for Each Analyst
Tweet your top contender for the 2012 Kentucky Oaks®»
Breaking Down the Picks
Asher and Hebel-Osborne have On Fire Baby as their number one Kentucky Oaks® contender. At 13-1 odds, On Fire Baby has some of the best odds for the May race. She won the March 10, Grade 3, $125,000 Honeybee Stakes at Oaklawn Park and had a strong third place finish in January's Smarty Jones Stakes. She has been the heavy favorite in each of her Oaks preps, so look for her odds to improve before the Kentucky Oaks®.
Grace Hall has moved up in this week's rankings after her win at Saturday's Grade 2, $300,000 Gulfstream Oaks. Daughter of classic winner Empire Maker, Grace Hall has experienced some success in her Oaks preps. Loren Hebel-Osborne says, "I was certainly tempted to put Grace Hall in the top spot based upon her romp in the Gulfstream Oaks; however, I left On Fire Baby in place again with a nod to her affinity for the Churchill Downs course." Grace Hall finished second in both the Davona Dale at Gulfstream Park on February 25, and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Phillies this past November. She is currently a 8-1 second choice for the Kentucky Oaks® and should be on your radar for the May race.
My number one contender continues to be Princess Arabella. She is currently the 6-1 favorite for the Kentucky Oaks® and has performed well in her Oaks preps. She won the March 25 $200,000 Sunland Park Oaks in impressive fashion; winning the race by eight-lengths. She won all three of her Oaks preps starts and will likely be one of the top contenders at Churchill Downs®.
See the current odds on the Kentucky Oaks contenders»
See the Kentucky Oaks® prep race schedule»
About the Experts
John Asher joined Churchill Downs® in 1997 as a publicist and racing analyst, and moved to his current role as vice president of Racing Communications two years later.
Loren Hebel-Osborne maintains an active racing and breeding farm just outside of Louisville. She often serves as a guest speaker and racing analyst for schools, clubs, corporate events and local news stations WHAS-TV and WBKI’s “Louisville Live” for Kentucky Derby® and Breeders’ Cup coverage. Loren also spent 15 years with VISA where she was involved in all aspects of managing its sponsorship of the Triple Crown and the Kentucky Derby®.
Who is your favorite in this year's Kentucky Oaks? Share your thoughts below.
Ready for the first Friday and Saturday in May? See your contenders face off at Churchill Downs® in the "Run for the Roses" at the Kentucky Derby® and Kentucky Oaks®! Get Official Ticket Packages from
Churchill Downs® now!
Updated: April 2, 2012. This week's top 10 contenders list compares my top 10 Kentucky Derby® contenders with two expert's picks: John Asher and Loren Hebel-Osborne.
Next Update: Your next Derby Contender update will be Monday, April 9, 2012. Be sure to subscribe to the Derby Experiences blog and follow QuintEvents on Facebook and Twitter @QuintEvents for updates on this year’s Kentucky Derby®.
Top 10 Contender Picks for the Kentucky Derby®
*Unique Pick for Each Analyst
Tweet your top contender for the 2012 Kentucky Derby®»
Breaking Down the Picks
Union Rags again tops the list as the favorite for the 2012 Kentucky Derby. Although his odds slipped slightly in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 3 (9-2), he will likely remain the top contender for the May race. He finished third in the $1 million Grade 1 Florida Derby this past weekend. A bad trip combined with a speed biased course didn't help him. Further, he likely needed the race for conditioning and I still like him as the top contender for the 2012 Kentucky Derby®.
Loren Hebel-Osborne has Hansen as her top contender in this week's rankings. He was victorious at the Gotham at Aqueduct on March 3, and has finished first or second in each of his Derby preps. Hansen finished tied for second in Pool 3 of the Kentucky Derby Futures at (8-1), trailing only Union Rags as the 2012 Derby favorite.
Take Charge Indy has moved into the top five in my personal rankings with a win at the Florida Derby. In the win, Take Charge Indy defeated top Derby contenders Union Rags and El Padrino who finished third and fourth respectively. With this impressive showing, Take Charge Indy is now a legitimate favorite for the "Run for the Roses" this May.
There has been some major shuffling in the top 10 after this weekend's preps. El Padrino has fallen out of the top 10 for the first time this prep season after two poor performances - the second in a super slow Louisiana Derby race time. Also, Hebel-Osborne added Dullahan to her top 10 list. With so much speed in the race, she wanted to include another closer. Dullahan relishes the Churchill Downs® surface and she believes trainer Dale Romans is getting him to ripen at just the right time.
See the latest odds for the 2012 Kentucky Derby®»
About the Experts
John Asher joined Churchill Downs® in 1997 as a publicist and racing analyst, and moved to his current role as vice president of Racing Communications two years later. Before his arrival at Churchill Downs, Asher earned five media Eclipse Awards for Outstanding National Radio Coverage of Thoroughbred Racing at Louisville radio stations WHAS and WAVG.
Loren Hebel-Osborne maintains an active racing and breeding farm just outside of Louisville. She often serves as a guest speaker and racing analyst for schools, clubs, corporate events and local news stations WHAS-TV and WBKI’s “Louisville Live” for Kentucky Derby® and Breeders’ Cup coverage. Loren also spent 15 years with VISA where she was involved in all aspects of managing its sponsorship of the Triple Crown and the Kentucky Derby®.
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