Arkansas Derby 2012 Results: Bodemeister Runs Away from Field

The 2012 Arkansas Derby ended in an easy victory for Bodemeister. The horse, ridden by jockey Mike Smith, destroyed the rest of the field after jumping out to an early lead.

The rest of the horse and jockey tandems were never even close to Smith and Bodemeister, as the pair wound up winning the race by a hefty margin of 9.5 lengths.

The horse ran the 1 1/8-mile fast track in a time of 1:48.71 

Bodemeister secured a berth in the Kentucky Derby this May, and gave his trainer Bob Baffert something to smile about.

The $1 million victory paid $6.80, $4.60 and $3.60.

The second and third place finishers in Hot Springs were Secret Circle (also owned by Baffert), ridden by Rafael Bejarano and Sabercat, ridden by Corey Nakatani. The two horses paid $4 and $4.80, respectively.

The field, made up of 11 three-year-old horses, failed to compete with Bodemeister, who is now a serious threat to win the Kentucky Derby.

This information, provided on Bodemeister's official page prior to the race, makes the victory even more impressive:

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"Talk about precedent carrying heavy weight...No horse since Apollo has won the Derby without starting at two, and that was 120 years ago! Bodemeister will have to be one more horse to overcome that. Gotta wish him the best regardless!"

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The juvenile horse, unraced in 2011, was a 2-1 favorite prior to the Derby, and he did not disappoint. Bodemeister redeemed himself after coming in second place to Creative Clause in the San Felipe Stakes on March 10.

Bodemeister is owned by Zayat Stables and named after Baffert's son, Bode. The horse's pedigree comes from Untouched Talent and Empire Maker. Empire Maker won the Belmont Stakes in 2003.

This was the 76th running of the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park.