2017 Santa Anita Derby Preview, Entries & Odds

OffTrackBetting.com - Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California will play host to the G1 Santa Anita Derby on Saturday, April 8. Some of the best three year olds in the land will take to Santa Anita's dirt track and race 1 1/8 miles for the winner's share of the $1 million and the 100-40-20-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points that are also up for grabs.

A large and competitive field of 13 Derby hopefuls will take to the track in the Santa Anita Derby - race 8 on Santa Anita's packed Saturday card. Post time is 3:30 PM. Let's take a peek into the past performances of all 13 combatants for this important "Road to the Kentucky Derby G1 stakes.

2017 Santa Anita Derby Entries at Santa Anita Park

Iliad 7-2 - Doug O'Neill trained Ringling has four career starts with two wins and a second place finish. Last time out was a decent second - a ways behind Mastery who will miss this race - in the G2 San Felipe Stakes here March 11 which followed a nice win in his stakes debut - by an impressive 3 1/2 lengths in the G2 San Vicente Stakes on this track February 12 and a maiden score by 3 1/2 lengths with a 92 Beyer Speed Figure at Los Alamitos December 18. His first start resulted in a ninth place finish at Del Mar December 3. Iliad has looked very good in his two graded stakes starts and hopes to officially punch his ticket to the Kentucky Derby Saturday. Flavien Prat gets the call on the tepid morning line favorite from post 9.

Gormley 9-2 - John Shirreffs trained colt will hit the track for the sixth time Saturday. His first start resulted in a nice win by 4 1/4 lengths at Del Mar September 4 and his second was a terrific wire-to-wire three length win in the G1 FrontRunner Stakes on this track October 1. He enters off a somewhat disappointing fourth in the G2 San Felipe Stakes here March 11 which followed another impressive win - in the G3 Sham Stakes - a race he beat American Anthem and recorded a field best 102 Beyer Speed Figure here January 7. He also had a seventh as third choice in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile on this track in November. Gormley has now won three of his five career starts and showed some serious form at times. He tries to bounce back into the win column Saturday with Victor Espinoza in the reins of the second betting choice from gate 8.

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American Anthem 5-1 - Bob Baffert trained colt has a win and a second place finish in his three career starts. He enters off a pretty bad performance - a tenth in the G2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park March 18 which followed a very respectable second behind Gormley in the G3 Sham Stakes here January 7 in his second career start and a win at first asking - at Del Mar December 3. American Anthem has shown form but will be after a better performance Saturday when he leaves from gate 6 with Martin Garcia guiding him.

Reach the World 5-1 - has three career starts for trainer Bob Baffert with a win, a second and a third place finish - all on this track. He steps into stakes company for the first time Saturday off a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming March 9, a maiden score by 3 1/4 lengths in gate-to-wire fashion February 4 and a third at first asking January 16. Reach the World takes a major step up in competition Saturday in decent form from gate 2 with Mike Smith scheduled to ride.

Battle of Midway 5-1 - has placed in all three career starts for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer - two wins and a third place finish - all on this track. Last time out was one of his wins - an Allowance Optional Claiming March 9 after a third in his only stakes action - the G2 San Vicente Stakes February 12 and a win at first asking - January 21. Battle of Midway has been a factor every time out and hopes to be again Saturday. Corey Nakatani has been tabbed to ride from post 3.

Royal Mo 10-1 - has five career starts for trainer John Shirreffs with two wins and two runner-up finishes. He started his career with consecutive seconds in MSW races - the last coming on this track November 6 and then broke maiden at Del Mar by a pretty good 1 1/4 lengths November 27. Royal Mo went on to a very nice win in the G3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes on this track February 4 but most recently fell back to earth with a ninth place finish in the G2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park March 18. He had improved every time out before his last start, hopes to get back his form and for a second graded stakes score in three starts. Jockey Gary Stevens will try to accomplish that goal from an unfortunate outside post 13.

Term of Art 12-1 - Doug O'Neill trained colt has placed in five of seven eight starts - two wins, a second and three third place finishes. He enters off an OK third in the G2 San Felipe Stakes on this track March 11 which followed a fourth in the G3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes here February 4, a disappointing fifth in the G3 Sham Stakes here January 7 and a career-best effort - a win in the G3 Cecil B. DeMille Stakes at Del Mar November 27. Before that was a ninth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile and a maiden score on this track October 8. Term Of Art has been inconsistent so far and hopes for a second graded stakes score in five starts Saturday from the rail with Tyler Baze aboard.

Kimbear 12-1 - has six career starts for trainer Eric Kruljac with a win, a second and three third place finishes. He makes his stakes debut Saturday having finally broken maiden last time out - on this track February 25. Before that was a third, a second and a fourth respectively in a trio of MSW races. Kimbear steps up after improving every time out the last six months and will be after a career-defining win Saturday. Joe Talamo rides from post 7.

So Conflated 15-1 - has two wins and a third place finish in his four career starts for trainer Doug O'Neill. He made his graded stakes debut last time out and finished a disappointing sixth in the G3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct March 4 after a nice win in the minor California Derby at Golden Gate January 21 and a maiden score on this track December 26. He was third in his debut at Del Mar December 3. So Conflated had been competitive every time out before a bit of a dud last time out and hopes for a better performance with Mario Gutierrez in the reins from post 5.

Midnight Pleasure 30-1 - Mick Ruis trained colt has a win and two third place finishes in four career starts. He won his debut at Del Mar July 24 and followed that with an OK third in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity September 5. Last time out was another third in an Allowance Optional Claiming on this track March 19 after a fourth in the G1 FrontRunner Stakes here in October. Midnight Pleasure has been OK so far and will be after a first stakes score Saturday from gate 12 with Jamie Theriot in the irons.

Milton Freewater 30-1 - has seven career starts for trainer Doug O'Neill and has hit the board in six of those - two wins, a second and three third place finishes. He makes his graded stakes debut Saturday off a second in an Allowance Optional Claiming here March 19, a decent third in the minor King Glorious Stakes at Los Alamitos December 18, a third in the minor Golden State Juvenile Stakes on this track in November and an Allowance Optional Claiming score here in October. Milton Freewater steps up in decent form and chases a first ever stakes score with Tiago Pereira in the saddle from gate 10.

Irish Freedom 20-1 - Bob Baffert trained colt has two career starts with one win - that coming in his debut at Del Mar August 21. He finished fifth last time out in an Allowance Optional Claiming on this track March 9. Irish Freedom isn't expected to be one of the frontrunners Saturday when he departs from post 11. Rafael Bejarano has been tabbed to guide.

Comma Sister 50-1 - has a win and a third place finish in four career starts for trainer George Papaprodromou and steps into stakes company for the first time Saturday - all results at Santa Anita. He finally broke maiden last time out February 20 after a sixth and a third to starts his career. Comma Sister takes an enormous step up in competition Saturday off a career-best outing but still looks as though he will be in over his head from gate 4. Israel Ocampo will be in the irons.

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2017 Santa Anita Derby Odds & Entries

Race 8 on Santa Anita's Saturday card with a Post Time of 6:30 PM.