2012 Kentucky Derby Contenders: I’ll Have Another

Horse: I’ll Have Another
Trainer: Doug O’Neill
Pedigree: By Flower Alley out of an Arch mare (Arch’s Gal)
Career Record: 5-3-1-0
Career Earnings: $634,000
Notable Races: G1-Santa Anita Derby (1^st); G2-Robert Lewis Stakes (1^st); G1-Hopeful (6^th); G2-Best Pal (2^nd)

Can He Win The 2012 Kentucky Derby?:

The Santa Anita Derby winner is a somewhat under-the-radar horse for a lot of players. There’s not a huge buzz about this colt, especially considering he’s won both of his starts in 2012 and he’s shown significant improvement from his juvenile campaign. In his Santa Anita Derby win he stalked the early speed of Blueskiesnrainbows, watched as Creative Cause passed him to the inside at the top of the stretch, and then dueled with his two rivals inside the final furlong. It was a gutty, hard fought race that established I’ll Have Another as a serious Kentucky Derby contender.

I’ll Have Another’s pedigree suggests he shouldn’t have any problem with the Derby distance of a mile and a quarter. His sire, Flower Alley, won the ten furlong Travers Stakes and the nine furlong Jim Dandy in 2005. His dam sire, Arch, also won at ten furlongs during his career, and sired Blame, winner of the 2012 Breeders’ Cup Classic by a head over Zenyatta.

Something to watch out for with I’ll Have Another: his only race over a wet surface was an absolute disaster (G1-Hopeful; 6^th, 19 lengths back). If it rains on Derby day, his chances become a bit more unclear.