Starting at the Beginning to Examine the Top Derby Contenders Leading up to the Kentucky Derby, there is the $2 million question: Who handles the distance? But very few ask: Where did they come from? So much is made about where they raced in their last start and very little about where the Derby horses originated from or who they are physically. We talked about Shackleford last year and how he looked like the Unbridled on the mare side, and he took the Forestry line farther than we have ever seen. Just as Discreet Cat, out of a Private Account mare, and Etched, out of an Unbridled's Song mare, these Forestry's outran the pedigree few believed they had. First, where did they come from? Union Rags was bred by Phyllis M. Wyeth. He sold at the Keeneland yearling sale in 2010 and was bought by IEAH stables for $145,000. He was Hip No. Coincidentally, Creative Cause, who was bred by James C. Weigel, had sold just 50 yearling prior as Hip 142 to Becky Thomas by Taylor Made Sales agency for $135,000. Bodemeister followed Union Rags 28 yearlings later as Hip 220. Bred by Virginia's Audley Farm Inc., he was sold to Zayat Stables for $260,000. If the similarities ended there it wouldn't be noteworthy, but all three met again in March in Florida. All three were entered in the Florida Fasig Tipton sale at Palm Meadows in Boynton Beach. All three were within 90 something hips offered at the sale. Creative Cause was the only one of the three that didn't breeze officially over the Palm Meadows surface. Creative Cause was declared from the sale and shortly thereafter bought privately by Harrington and company before he got a chance to preview as Hip 132 at the Keeneland spring sale at Keeneland Racecourse. Union Rags was HIP 63 at the Fasig Tipton sale and was bought back by his original owner for a cool $390,000, after previewing in 10.1 officially and galloping out in 22 flat, according to www.2yosales.com. The lone comment was "once he got moving, he rolled!" Bodemeister was Hip 82, and he actually previewed over the surface going in 10.2 for the McKathan Brothers. He was declared from the sale because of unspecified reasons. The rumor was he didn't receive the attention he deserved and was kept for racing purposes. Union Rags wasn't close to being the sale topper but was very popular, according to his consignor, Eddie Woods, after Union Rags" breeze. His reserve was set at $249,000, and he brought $390,000. Last year's Derby winner Animal Kingdom was bought back as a yearling as his reserve was not achieved at the Keeneland 2009 yearling sale. He was bought back for slightly over $100,000. No one paid that much attention to him as a Derby prospect. Horses like Street Thug, winner of one race in two starts, went for $400,000. The Tapit filly Dance Card, unraced to this day, sold for $750,000, and Betwixt sold for $1.35 million to John Ferguson. He has yet to start out of the same Florida sale. None of these high selling babies have accomplished much. Yet, Union Rags, Bodemeister and Creative Cause are here at Derby 138. Why didn't anyone see the potential in Bodemeister or Creative Cause? If you have experience at the sales, you know that the best horse in the sale is not the high-priced topper. In reality, high draft picks are usually not the ones to watch. Bodemeister was pulled from the sale, most likely for lack of interest; Creative Cause didn't make it to the sale for what Harrington reported was a small issue; and Union Rags was bought back by the original breeder. Why are they here now? What makes them who they are? Bodemeister is a true-looking Empire Maker with the precociousness of his mare, Untouched Talent. Bought by a partnership out of the Barretts sale in 2006 for $500,000, the Storm Cat offspring had conformational flaws but rattled off wins in the Juan Gonzalez Memorial at Pleasanton and the Sorrento Stakes at Del Mar as a 2-year-old for trainer Jeff Bonde. She stretched out to seven furlongs and was second to Point Ashley in the Del Mar Debutante and finished second in the Ashland Stakes at Keeneland before sustaining a career-ending injury. Bodemeister has the look of an Empire Maker, the Unbridled line we so much discussed last year with Shackleford. Unbridled's stamina-laced DNA and the brilliant, precocious Storm Cat blood in Bodemeister is what make him who he is. Union Rags and Creative Cause are freaks of their own nature, neither look like their sires. Union Rags resembles the Nijinsky II side of his pedigree. He is long and lean and could have passed for one of those Charlie Whittingham older monsters on the grass going long. He is stamped by his grand-broodmare sire of Terpsichorist, Tempo's broodmare. Creative Cause looks nothing like his daddy, Giant's Causeway. He is all Siberian Summer on the broodmare side. Siberian Summer was a long-distance graded stakes winner for Ron McAnally. He handled distances easily, and his daughter Dream of Summer got better with age after starting her career at the ripe age of 4. Union Rags and Creative Cause may have scared off some potential buyers because of sires or what or whom they look like. Creative Cause didn't look like a typical Giant's Causeway, and Union Rags was thought of strictly as a sprinter because of his siblings" achievements. Union Rags, Creative Cause and Bodemeister have gone to proverbial kindergarten, junior high and high school together and have all made it here despite not being the most regarded in the generation at the auction. All three are overachievers, or vastly underrated as babies, judging by all the horses in their generation that were bought for much more. But what else is new? Bruno De Julio has been a workout analyst and thoroughbred owner for the past 20 years. He is the author of "Bruno on Workouts: Exposing the Mystery" and can be found daily at Racing With Bruno and Grade One Racing.