Kentucky Derby 2012: Overconfidence Isn't Enough to Get Hansen the Win

Hansen owner Dr. Kendall Hansen recently proclaimed, "We are going to win this race."

Unfortunately, that's not all it will take for the Great White Hope to be the last horse standing after the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby.

Despite the fact that Bodemeister has been deemed the 4-1 favorite (Union Rags is a close second at 9-2), there's no overwhelming favorite for this year's race.

Perhaps that is what has inspired a bit of overconfidence from Hansen, whose horse of the same name will start from post position No. 14 and has 10-1 odds on the morning line.

The thoroughbred won last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile but has perhaps gained more acclaim for his pristine coat. According to the New York Times, only 131 horses have ever been registered as white.

He may look good, but that won't do anything to help him conquer the 1 1/4-mile track at Churchill Downs, which some claim is too far for him. Last year, he only beat out Union Rags by a mere nose running 1 1/16 miles at Churchill Downs.

Dr. Hansen, however, disagrees. He told the Washington Post's Cindy Boren: 

"

We’re not worried about anybody. We have the best horse. Speed is dangerous, and he can go a mile and a quarter. Everybody will find that out in a couple of days. 

"

Hansen may be the fan favorite because he's the prettiest horse, or perhaps the most recognizable, but that won't make him any faster on Saturday, or any more equipped to leg out the remainder of a track that might be a touch too long for him.

Hansen may look like a winner, but that doesn't make him a winner.