Kentucky Derby Predictions: Why Union Rags Will Dominate the Competition

The winner of the 138th Kentucky Derby will need the necessary pedigree, training and expert jockeying to grab a first-place finish in this year's Run for the Roses.

Union Rags has all of those things, making him a tremendous force on the Kentucky Oaks track.

Trainer Michael Matz, jockey Julien Leparoux and Union Rags' reputable bloodline give this colt the chance to dominate the competition.

The Run for the Roses is always highly contested. This year will be no different.

There are many considered favorites, but Union Rags will stand out from the competition. Here's why.

Recent Success

Union Rags has never finished worse than third in his five career races. He has finished first in four of those five contests.

Union Rags took third at the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park in March. He took first in the Fountain of Youth contest at Gulfstream Park in February.

Last year, Union Rags took second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile race at Churchill Downs and took first at both Champagne and the Three Chimneys Saratoga Special.

Outside of the Three Chimneys Saratoga Special, all of these races were at least one mile long. Union Rags will have enough endurance to race the 1.25-mile track this weekend.

Union Rags' overall success points to his ability to stick with tough competition and blow them away on big stages.

Pedigree

Union Rags has past Kentucky Derby success in his blood. The 1964 Kentucky Derby winner Northern Dancer can be traced through both sides of his family tree.

His mother, Gone West, has not bred tremendously successful horses. However, they are known for their distance running.

Union Rags' second dam, Terpsichorist, was considered a long-distance specialist. She won 1.25-mile Sheepshead Bay Handicap and the 1.5-mile Long Island Handicap during her career.

Union Rags' sire is Dixie Union. Dixie Union is not known for endurance, but he did win the six-furlong Hollywood Juvenile Championship and the seven-furlong Malibu during his racing career.

Pedigree points to endurance and speed in Union Rags' case. That will be important in this year's Kentucky Derby and a main reason Union Rags will win this race.

Trainer

Michael Matz is best known for 2006 Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro. Union Rags is his first horse in this storied race since Barbaro's tragic injury in the 2006 Preakness Stakes.

Matz is both an accomplished trainer, and rider. He was a member of the USA Olympic Equestrian Team and even carried the American flag in the closing ceremonies of the Atlanta Olympic Games.

Matz has the experience of training a Kentucky Derby winner already. He knows what it takes to prepare a horse for the Kentucky Oaks track and knows what it takes to win.

The horses do the work, but the work behind closed doors matters as well. Matz is a world-class trainer looking to return to the winners' circle.

Jockey

Julien Leparoux has ridden Union Rags for the horse's two most recent races. He is accomplished in his career and understands how to perform on a big stage.

Leparoux won three Breeders' Cup championships in 2009, giving him the Shoemaker Award for Breeders' Cup top jockey that year. He was also named top journeyman rider in 2009.

Overall, he is a five-time Breeders' Cup winner and a two-time Eclipse champion jockey. He has led an accomplished career riding many different types of horses.

Leparoux has the necessary experience and technique to ride Union Rags to victory.

A victory at the 138th Kentucky Derby would put a beautiful touch on an already notable riding career.

What Does All of This Mean?

Union Rags' accomplishments on the track are impressive given a small sample size. He has the right people working with him and the family tree necessary to win the race of all races.

Spectators will watch Union Rags' gait on race day, taking note of every inch of his gallop. What they don't see may be the most important factor—and why Union Rags will win this year's Kentucky Derby.

Matz and Leparoux are accomplished experts in the world of horse racing. Both will have their own major impact on this year's outcome.

Bob Baffert may be the racing world's best known trainer, but Matz is not far behind.

Look for Union Rags to trump Baffert's Bodemeister down the stretch in the 2012 edition of the Kentucky Derby.

For more coverage of the 2012 Kentucky Derby, visit Bleacher Report's Horse Racing page.