The Bob Baffert trained Bodemeister, currently the 2012 Kentucky Derby favorite at 4 to 1 odds, will start the 138th Run for the Roses from Post 6. The lightly raced colt, which has two wins in four career starts, owns a championship pedigree and a Hall of Fame support staff, but will it successfully navigate the 1 ¼ miles track at the legendary Churchill Downs this weekend? Tune into NBC Sports at 5:00pm ET on Saturday, May 5th to find out if this son of Empire Maker etches its name in history.
Not many Kentucky Derby Contenders or favorites needed two attempts to break their maiden, but Bodemeister did. The bay colt placed second in its first race, a 5 ½ furlongs run at the Santa Anita race track in Arcadia, California in mid-January. It came back less than a month later to win a one mile affair at the same race park.
Bodemeister hit the track again in early March when it placed second at the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes (1 1/16 miles) with the only jockey it had ever known, Rafael Bejarano, on board. Derby hype began to build for the Zayat Stables product after its next event, the 1 1/8miles Grade 1 Arkansas Derby. American jockey Mike Smith guided Bodemeister to first place in the prestigious prep race by holding off another Baffert trained colt, Secret Circle, and fellow Derby entrant Sabercat.
Smith will again have the mount when Bodemeister attempts to tackle Churchill Downs on Saturday. Smith has three Triple Crown wins to his credit (1993 Preakness Stakes, 2005 Kentucky Derby, 2010 Belmont Stakes), but he is, perhaps, most famous for guiding legendary filly Zenyatta to 16 of her 19 career victories.
Should Bodemeister best the field this weekend, the victory would mark the fourth Derby win for the Hall of Famer Baffert (1997 Silver Charm, 1998 Real Quiet, and 2002 War Emblem). Baffert also owns five Preakness Stakes titles.
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Bodemeister Odds - Kentucky Derby Contenders 2012 - Free Picks Handicapping
Pregame.com Pro Marco D'Angelo and Dave Tuley from ViewFromVegas.com and the Daily Racing Form discuss "Bodemeister" in the 2012 Kentucky Derby - including odds, post postions, handicapping tips, favorites, and long shots.