Three years ago today, on January 12th, 2012, I posted my "Top Twenty" list of Kentucky Derby contenders. Although eventual Derby winner I'll Have Another was not on my list, the overall strength of the top Derby contenders that year is reflected in how many of the horses on my list made it to Churchill Downs for the Derby. Of the twenty horses, a remarkable eleven ran in the Derby, including the top four on my list -- Creative Cause, Hansen, Union Rags, and Rousing Sermon.
As one might recall, 2012 was the year in which an extraordinary number of the previous year's best juveniles progressed into top-notch three-year-olds. For example, of the thirteen starters in the 2011 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I), nine went on to run in the 2012 Derby -- amazing! If only every year could be like 2012, with few injuries to the major contenders and plenty of good juveniles maturing into exceptional three-year-olds!
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