Kentucky Derby 2012 Winner: Assessing I'll Have Another's Strong Pedigree

Genetics have a large part to do with how naturally talented one is at sports, and in horse racing it's what separates the Grade II and III track horses from the Kentucky Derby participants and winners.

I'll Have Another's last-second sprint to the finish line at the 2012 edition of the spectacle will resonate in the minds of its audience for some time, and while credit should be given to the owner and jockey, the horse's lineage deserves a little bit of recognition too.

Mr. Prospector, who went up against Secretariat back in his racing days, is the sire of I'll Have Another, along with a few other notable horses. The 1996 Belmont Stakes winner Editor's Note, multi-time Grade II and III race champion Flower Alley and the 2003 winner of the Derby and Preakness Stakes, Funny Cide, are all relatives of the newest Derby winner.

Genetics didn't help drive a large price on the horse when owner J. Paul Reddam purchased the eventual Derby champ for just $35,000 last April.

Reddam told Cincinnati.com after the historic win:

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“We’re kind of a working class group, from the trainer, the owner, the jockey. We don’t come from the bluest of blood for horse racing, and that’s okay."

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All horses in the Derby race are going to have some impressive names in it's lineage, but like Reddam said, his group's working class mentality goes well with the history of his line. Funny Cide was the first New York-bred horse to win the spectacle at Churchill Downs, so I'll Have Another's line is used to raising a few eyebrows when in the great state of Kentucky.

As his owner pointed out, there a a few more names in the running pool last Saturday that had a better lineage of success, but with the help of some fine genetics, a jockey hungry for his first nationally-televised victory and a passionate owner, I'll Have Another came out and shocked the horse racing world and etched his name in Derby history.