It was a record-breaking 138th running of the $2 million Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands. A crowd of 165,307, the largest in history, gathered on a beautiful day at Churchill Downs Racetrack and watched Reddam Racing LLC’s California-based I’ll Have Another rally to defeat favored Bodemeister, capturing the Garland of Roses and America’s greatest race.  

The on-track attendance erased the previous record of 164,858, set just last year.  The record attendance prior to 2011 was the crowd of 163,628 who gathered for the 100th Kentucky Derby in 1974.  

Priscilla Vaccarezza’s Little Mike continued a major afternoon for trainer Dale Romans by posting a front-running 2 ½-length triumph over Slim Shadey (GB) in the 26th running of the $561,500 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic (Grade I) on Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs.

    Earlier on the Kentucky Derby Day card, Romans sent out Shackleford to a victory in the Churchill Downs Presented by Navistar (GII).

Emory Hamilton’s homebred Hungry Island collared Tapitsfly at the eighth pole and then drew off to win the 27th running of the $223,400 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Presented by American Commercial Lines (Grade II) by a length on Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs.

    Trained by Shug McGaughey and ridden by John Velazquez, Hungry Island ran the mile on a Matt Winn Turf Course labeled as “good” in 1:36.20.

Michael Lauffer and Bill Cubbedge’s homebred Shackleford outdueled Breeders’ Cup Sprint (Grade I) winner Amazombie in a dazzling stretch duel to win the 78th running of the $441,600 Churchill Downs Presented by Navistar (GI) by a length on Saturday afternoon.

    Ridden by Jesus Castanon and trained by Dale Romans, Shackleford notched his first victory since winning the Preakness last May. In his past two Churchill Downs appearances, Shackleford had finished fourth in the Kentucky Derby (GI) and second in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (GI).

Churchill Downs and TwinSpires.com have partnered to offer a $500,000 guarantee on the Pick 6 pool on Kentucky Derby Day via a wager named the “TwinSpires.com $500,000 Guaranteed Derby Day Pick 6.” 

The Pick 6 sequence on Derby Day is “shaping up to offer tremendous wagering opportunities,” said Churchill Downs Racetrack President Kevin Flanery. “We’re delighted TwinSpires.com has stepped up to the plate to make the wagering menu even more attractive to bettors all over the world.”

ALPHA – Godolphin Stable’s Bernardini colt Alpha, trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, went to the track Thursday morning for what is a routine piece of exercise under rider Rob Massey.
    “We did the same thing we have been doing, back up to the sixteenth pole and gallop about a mile and three-eighths,” McLaughlin said. “He’s doing great, continues to train well and ate up well. Everything is going great.”

ALPHA – Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin confirmed that Godolphin Stable’s Alpha will be ridden by jockey Rajiv Maragh in the Kentucky Derby. Maragh was aboard for the Bernardini colt’s sharp work (:59.40 for five furlongs) at Belmont Park on Saturday.
    McLaughlin said that Alpha schooled in the gate before galloping about 1 ½ miles Wednesday morning. Alpha acted up in the gate before the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (Grade I) at Churchill Downs in November, but has been fine in each of his three starts in 2012.

KENTUCKY DERBY 138 POST POSITION DRAW QUOTES
Wednesday, May 2, 2012

ALPHA (Post position 11, morning line 15-1) – Kiaran McLaughlin (trainer) – “We’re first in the gate. But he’s been great. It’s just going to make me more nervous. He’s fine. It’s a good position in gate, No. 11. It’s just that he has to load first.  We didn’t really want that.  It’s OK. We can’t do anything about it. He’s been great. I’ll just be nervous until they spring the latch.”

Godolphin Stable’s Alpha visited the track at Churchill Downs for the first time this year on Tuesday morning when he galloped approximately 1 3/8 miles under exercise rider Rob Massey.