2012 Kentucky Derby Contenders: Daddy Long Legs

Horse: Daddy Long Legs
Trainer: Aidan O’Brien
Pedigree: By Scat Daddy out of a Meadowlake mare (Dreamy Maiden)
Career Record: 5-3-0-0
Career Earnings: $1,308,752
Notable Races: G2-UAE Derby (1^st); G1-Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (12^th); G2-Royal Lodge Stakes (1^st); G2-Champagne (GB) Stakes (4^th)

Can He Win The 2012 Kentucky Derby?:

It’s no secret what the biggest question mark is with Daddy Long Legs: can he win on a dirt surface? Five races into his career, the answer to that question is ‘no’. Looking just at this colt’s pedigree, we wouldn’t think that the dirt surface would be an issue. His sire, Scat Daddy, was a winner on dirt, as was his dam sire, Meadowlake. But the proof is in the pudding, and Daddy Long Legs has yet do much of anything on an American dirt surface.

Daddy Long Legs doesn’t have much of an excuse for his poor performance in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Unlike several of his rivals, he had a relatively clean trip around the track and simply failed to mount a challenge at any point in the race. Things won’t get a whole lot easier in the Derby after Daddy Long Legs drew the dreaded rail post.