Top Derby contenders come from November Juvenile
April 29, 2012LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Hansen was there, edging out a hard charging Union Rags. Dullahan ran, too, as did Daddy Long Legs, Creative Cause, Take Charge Indy, Alpha, Optimizer and Prospective.
When the expected horses line up again Saturday for the Kentucky Derby, the race that set the stage for the Run for the Roses came in November at the Breeders' Cup Juvenile on the same Churchill Downs track.
While no horse has distinguished itself as a clear-cut favorite ahead of the post-position draw on Wednesday, as many as nine horses who'll start Saturday also participated in the premiere race for 2-year-olds.
Union Rags trainer Michael Matz says it was a ``key'' contest that legitimized this year's competitive field.