Kentucky Derby 2012 Results: Derby Loss Will Motivate Bodemeister for Preakness

The announcers at the 138th Annual Kentucky Derby were all getting ready to tell the story of Bodemeister as the horse took a three-length lead over the pack, but then, out of nowhere I'll Have Another stole the victory.

The fact of the matter is, Bodemeister dominated the 2012 Derby, sprinting out to the front of the pack almost immediately out of the gate and held his place as the No. 1 horse in the race up until the very last moments of the "Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports."

On a shorter track in Maryland for the Preakness Stakes, if Bodemeister can repeat his performance at the Derby, he'll walk away as the victor.

If the Derby was 150 yards shorter, Bodemeister would be the one America is learning the back story to and the sports world would be talking about his chance to win the first Triple Crown since 1978, and not his late-sprinting adversary.

Bodemeister was bred from some of biggest names in horse racing, as his grandsire is Unbridled, the 1990 Kentucky Derby and Breeder's Cup Classic races as well as the runner-up at the '90 Preakness Stakes.

The great genetics doesn't stop there either, Empire Maker sired Bodemeister. In case you're memory is a bit foggy, Empire Maker was the 2003 Derby runner-up (to I'll Have Another's relative: Funny Cide) as well as the Belmont Stakes and Florida Derby winner in that same year.

Bodemeister showed the world this past Saturday that he can win short-tracks, as he lead the majority of the race, living up to the hype that had him as one of the early favorites to win the Kentucky spectacle.

Bodemeister's trainer Bob Baffert told the Los Angeles Times that he was happy with how his horse ran Saturday, stating:

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"He was there and just got tired a little bit. He's only run four times, and I was really proud of him. He's a super impressive horse."

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Baffert may have been happy with the second-place finish at Kentucky, but he'll be working with Bodemeister and the rest of the horse's team to go out and take first in the Preakness. Perhaps on that day, the Bodemeister team will be celebrating finishing No. 1 instead of No. 2.