Pro

• Having won comfortably in the 1 3/16th-mile United Arab Emirates (UAE) Derby in Dubai, Daddy should have no trouble going a mile and a quarter
• Aidan O’Brien is one of the world’s top horsemen, and he’s had plenty of success shipping horses from Europe to the United States to compete in the Breeders’ Cup.
• Daddy Long Legs has had a race over the track, shipping in for last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Churchill Downs

Con

• His race over the track a year ago in the Juvenile—Daddy didn’t run a lick, finishing some 20 lengths behind winner Hansen and second-place finisher Union Rags (O’Brien blames a poor start and not the track surface)
• He’s had only one race this year — and only one race since the Juvenile
• He was overmatched against many of these same horses last year

Fun fact

O’Brien’s Master of Hounds finished a fast-closing fifth in last year’s Derby.

Final analysis

Despite the trip over from Ireland, where Daddy Long Legs is based, and his blah outing in last year’s Juvenile, don’t ignore him in your exotic wagers. He’s a big, long-striding colt that should have a legitimate pace to run at and could be making up ground in deep stretch.
 

Photo: Kentucky Derby/Andrew Watkins/Dubai Racing Club