One year ago, young jockey Mario Gutierrez watched Animal Kingdom win the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) on a television screen at Hastings Racecourse, a track in Vancouver, British Columbia, that once attracted a record attendance of 21,156.

"Like all jockeys, we all dream that one day, fortunately, I would be in the Kentucky Derby," Gutierrez said. "At the time, I was at Hastings, and of course, like a joke, I had the dream."

One year later, I'll Have Another and Gutierrez fulfilled that dream, as the pair stormed down the stretch to win the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby before a record crowd of 165,307 under the famed Twin Spires at Churchill Downs.


"I think we all need opportunity and great things can happen," Gutierrez said. "I'm so thankful that this happened to me. I'm happy I didn't melt down. I prepared myself to do that. The horse is so professional, so I prepare myself to be at the same level as the horse. This is the great opportunity of my life."

The win was also the first in the Derby for trainer Doug O'Neill and longtime client J. Paul Reddam.

"It's incredible," O'Neill said. "When you tell people you're in the horse racing game, they ask you, 'Have you won the Kentucky Derby?' Now I can say, 'Yes, I have, 2012.' "

I'll Have Another wore down favored Bodemeister in the stretch for the win, after the leader appeared home free despite setting wicked early fractions. It was the third win in three starts this year for the Flower Alley colt, who won the Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G2) and Santa Anita Derby (G1) as his preps. All of those victories have come with Gutierrez aboard.

Gutierrez, a 25-year-old native of Veracruz, Mexico, began riding Quarter Horses at the age of 14. He moved his tack to Hastings in 2006 and was the leading rider there last year. He moved to the Southern California circuit over the winter, where Reddam and O'Neill spotted him. At the time, they were having lunch while discussing who should ride I'll Have Another in his upcoming three-year-old debut. The colt, who had finished second in the Best Pal Stakes (G2) the year before, had not raced since exiting a sixth-place finish in Saratoga Race Course's Three Chimneys Hopeful Stakes (G1) with an injury.

"[I said to Reddam] we're not going to get [Rafael Bejarano or Joel Rosario for his comeback], so who do you want to get?" O'Neill said. "Just as we were talking, Mario had just won a race. Paul said, 'Who is that kid?' I knew his agent - Ivan Puhich is a legend. I knew Ivan had him, but I couldn't pick Mario out of a lineup at the time. I had him come and work the colt. They got along beautiful. Paul said, 'Let's give the kid a chance.' Thank you, Paul, because the kid can really ride."

When the gates opened on the 20-horse Derby field, Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Bodemeister, who was sent off as the 4.20-to-1 favorite, bounced out to the early lead. On a fast dirt track that had been producing swift times all weekend—two track records and one stakes record fell on Friday and Saturday—the colt ticked off splits of :22.32, :45.39, and 1:09.80.

Meanwhile, I'll Have Another and Gutierrez had gotten away cleanly and were tracking in the second flight of horses. Seventh after three-quarters, they began to improve their position around the far turn, and were fourth as Gutierrez swung him wide for the drive.

"He's a really smart horse," Gutierrez said. "I let him run a little bit (early) to have that position. He's so smart, he does everything pretty well. I just waited for him, pushed him a little bit to have that spot, and then everything from then on was from the horse."

Bodemeister spurted clear at the quarter pole and still led by three lengths in the stretch as I'll Have Another took dead aim. The colt ate into the leader's margin, collared him at the sixteenth pole, and pulled clear to win by 1 1/2 lengths going away. The final time for the 1 1/4-mile race was 2:01.83.

Bodemeister held second by a neck over the closing Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (G1) winner Dullahan.

"I'm very disappointed, but at the same time, I'm just so proud of him," said Mike Smith, who was aboard Bodemeister. "He's brilliant. He really is."

I'll Have Another, out of the Arch mare Arch's Gal Edith, was sold at last year's Ocala Breeders' Sales Co. spring sale of two-year-olds in training, where Doug O'Neill's brother, Dennis, picked him out for just $35,000. The colt has now won four of six career starts, pushing his bankroll to $2,093,600.

"He didn't breeze that fast," Dennis O'Neill said. "Generally, at shows, you have to breeze :10 flat or :09.4 to be expensive. I think he breezed :10.2 or :10.3. Just had a beautiful way of going. ... You could pick things on him, but me doing this so long, working with Doug, I know what Doug can put up with and what he can't. Honestly, when he went through the ring, I said, 'This is a perfect horse.' "

Doug O'Neill didn't hesitate to name a next start for his colt.

"Maryland, here we come, baby!" he said,

The Preakness Stakes (G1), the next leg of the Triple Crown, is at Pimlico Race Course on May 14.

Courtesy : http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com