Santa Anita Derby

Santa Anita Park • Arcadia, CA, USA 100-50-25-15-10
April 4, 2026

Santa Anita horse racing

Santa Anita Derby Race History

Inaugurated in 1935 shortly after its host track’s opening, the Santa Anita Derby (G1) has for more than eight decades served as the West Coast’s premier Kentucky Derby (G1) prep. Contested over 1 1⁄8 miles, it offers Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifying points of 100-50-25-15-10 to the top five finishers.

The first significant era in Santa Anita Derby history was the 1950s, when the race produced the Kentucky Derby winner three times in a four-year span with Hill Gail (1952), Determine (1954), and Swaps (1955). Other notable winners that decade included the Your Host, who sired five-time Horse of the Year Kelso; the famed stretch runner Silky Sullivan; and the filly Silver Spoon.

In the intervening six decades, the Santa Anita Derby has yielded nine winners of the Kentucky Derby. That group includes Triple Crown winners, Affirmed (1978) and Justify (2018), Hall of Fame runners Majestic Prince (1969) and Sunday Silence (1989), the filly Winning Colors (1988), and more recent stars I’ll Have Another (2012), California Chrome (2014), and Authentic (2020).

The winner’s honor roll also includes various other Preakness (G1) and/or Belmont (G1) winners: Candy Spots, Codex, Snow Chief, A.P. Indy, Point Given, and Exaggerator.

Trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Gary Stevens hold the record for most Santa Anita Derby victories in their respective categories with nine wins apiece. However, Baffert’s first two Kentucky Derby winners – Silver Charm (1997) and Real Quiet (1998) – both finished second in the Santa Anita feature.

Indeed, a number of other champions fell short of victory in the Santa Anita Derby but went on to distinguished careers. The filly Horse of the Year Busher (1945) ran second in a renewal delayed until late June due to the end of World War II. Round Table, 1958 Horse of the Year and a three-time grass champion, was another who settled for a minor award in the race.

Ferdinand ran third in the 1986 Santa Anita Derby but bounced back a month later to wear the roses under the late Bill Shoemaker, an eight-time Santa Anita Derby winner who was the world’s winningest rider for nearly 30 years. Authentic, the 2020 Horse of the Year, also finished second in the Santa Anita Derby before winning the Kentucky Derby.

By J. Keeler Johnson/TwinSpires.com

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Entries

Jockey

Owner

Trainer

Current odds

Wagers

1

Cherokee Nation

Geroux, Florent

SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing or Madaket Stables LLC, et al

Baffert, Bob

5/2

2

Potente

Hernandez, Juan J.

Speedway Stables LLC

Baffert, Bob

2/1

3

Vitruvian Man

Fresu, Antonio

Glenn Sorgenstein WC Racing Inc.

O'Neill, Doug F.

15/1

4

Robusta

Jaramillo, Emisael

Calumet Farm

O'Neill, Doug F.

8/1

5

So Happy

Smith, Mike E.

Norman Stables LLC or Saints or Sinners

Glatt, Mark

7/2

6

Start the Ride

Ayuso, Armando

Harris Farms, Inc.

Blacker, Dan

30/1

7

Intrepido

Berrios, Hector Isaac

Dutch Girl Holdings LLC or Irving Ventures LLC

Mullins, Jeff

7/2

Road to the Kentucky Derby

Santa Anita Derby

April 4, 2026

Santa Anita Park • Arcadia, CA, USA

Points: 100-50-25-15-10

Blue Grass

April 4, 2026

Keeneland • Lexington, KY, USA

Points: 100-50-25-15-10

Wood Memorial

April 4, 2026

Aqueduct • New York, NY, USA

Points: 100-50-25-15-10

Lexington

April 11, 2026

Keeneland • Lexington, KY, USA

Points: 20-10-6-4-2

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