2012 Kentucky Derby Contenders: Liaison
Horse: Liaison
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Pedigree: By Indian Charlie out of a Victory Gallop mare (Galloping Gal)
Career Record: 7-3-0-1
Career Earnings: $487,560
Notable Races: G1-CashCall Futurity (1st); G2-San Felipe (4th); G1-Santa Anita Derby (6th)
Can He Win The 2012 Kentucky Derby?:
Liaison has experienced what can only be described as a adventurous road to the 2012 Kentucky Derby. The Bob Baffert trainee was very consistent as a juvenile, winning the ungraded Real Quiet and the G1-CashCall Futurity at Hollywood Park. But ever since the calendar turned to 2012, things have been an adventure.
In his first start as a three-year-old in the G2-Robert Lewis Stakes, Liaison clipped heels with another horse in the stretch and dumped jockey Rafael Bejarano. He came back in the G2-San Felipe and ran credibly but never threatened the top two finishers, Creative Cause and Bodemeister. In his final Derby prep race, Liaison barely ran a lick and finished over nine lengths behind I’ll Have Another and Creative Cause in the G1-Santa Anita Derby.
There are just too many things working against this colt to see him as anything other than a very long shot to win the Kentucky Derby. Anything’s possible in horse racing; a super-fast early pace could set things up for Liaison to get a piece of the action at the wire. But as a handicapper, it’s hard to get past the fact that this horse hasn’t won a race since December and has actually run worse in each of his starts in 2012. Additionally, he hasn't been close to Creative Cause in either of his last two races. And finally, he’s a son of Indian Charlie, a sire that generally doesn’t product horses that excel at distances over a mile. It’s tough to back a horse like that in the biggest race of the year.
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