2023 Santa Anita Derby Contenders and Odds

Santa Anita Derby Awards 100-40-30-20-10 Kentucky Derby Qualifying Points

Trainer Tim Yakteen's Practical Move, fresh off impressive scores in a pair of graded stakes, heads a field of nine sophomores going a mile and one eighth on Saturday, April 8 in the Grade I, $750,000 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby-a race that has produced 20 Kentucky Derby winners.

With a total of 200 Kentucky Derby qualifying points at stake, 100 will be awarded to the winner, with 40, 30, 20 and 10 points going to the remaining top five finishers.

Yakteen, a former assistant to both Bob Baffert and Charlie Whittingham, eyes his first victory in what will be the 86th renewal of the Santa Anita Derby. Owned by Leslie Amestoy, Pierre Jean Amestoy, Jr. and Roger Beasley, Practical Move was attentive to the pace in the Grade II San Felipe Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on March 4 while full of run at the rail in the run to the far turn.

With pacesetter Hejazi in front of him and Geaux Rocket Ride just to his outside, Practical Move unleashed a tremendous turn of foot, leaving his rivals in his wake en route to an emphatic 2 ½ length score and in a performance that certainly suggests he'll relish added distance, he daylighted the field galloping out into the Club House turn.

Practical Move's San Felipe score followed an impressive followed 3 ¼ length romp at the same distance in the Grade II Los Alamitos Futurity Dec. 17. A Kentucky-bred colt by the Into Mischief stallion Practical Joke out of the Afleet Alex mare Ack Naughty, Practical Move raced as a maiden at Los Alamitos, earning an 88 Beyer Speed Figure, and followed that with a 100 Beyer in the San Felipe.

With Ramon Vazquez back aboard for the third consecutive time on Saturday, Practical Move, who is already assured of a starting position in the Run for the Roses with 60 qualifying points, will again face Geaux Rocket Ride as well the San Felipe third place finisher Skinner, with all three horses rating solid chances.

Second or third in all four of his maiden starts prior to the Los Alamitos Futurity, Practical Move is now 6-3-1-2 with earnings of $434,200.

Although he's late to the Triple Crown party, Richard Mandella's Geaux Rocket Ride, in just his second career start and first time around two turns, ran lights-out in the San Felipe, sitting a measured second to Hejazi to the far turn and battling gamely at the rail through the lane to finish second, 1 ¼ lengths in front of an on-coming Skinner.

A galloping first-out maiden six furlong winner here Jan. 29, Geaux Rocket Ride was the 5-2 favorite in the San Felipe, a race in which he earned a 96 Beyer. Owned by Pin Oak Stud, LLC, Geaux Rocket Ride, who picked up 20 KY Derby qualifying points in the San Felipe, is by Candy Ride out of the Uncle Mo mare Beyond Grace.

Like Geaux Rocket Ride, C R K Stable's Skinner would appear to have considerable upside. Far back at the half mile pole in the San Felipe, Skinner made an eye-catching move while wide-out around the far turn but with Practical Move powering home, he wasn't able to make up the necessary ground, finishing third by 3 ¾ lengths but looking like a horse who could excel at longer distances.

Trained by John Shirreffs, Skinner, a Kentucky-bred colt by Curlin out of the Malibu Moon mare Winding Way, has improved dramatically here this winter and appears set for his best in what will be sixth career start and fifth pairing with Victor Espinoza.

Unraced since a disappointing third, beaten one length as the 3-5 favorite going one mile in the Grade III Sham Stakes Jan. 8, National Treasure has been transferred from Baffert to Yakteen in an effort to receive qualifying points to the Kentucky Derby.

Third, beaten 3 ¾ lengths by Eclipse Award Juvenile Colt champ Forte I in the Grade I Breeders' Cup Juvenile Nov. 4 at Keeneland, National Treasure was second to highly regarded stablemate Cave Rock two starts back in the Grade I American Pharoah here Oct. 8 and is obviously a colt with immense class, but with a lack of recency, he no doubt faces a tall order on Saturday.

Owned by SF Racing, LLC, Starlight Racing, LLC, et al, National Treasure is 4-1-1-2 with earnings of $300,000.

Although he'll likely be a double digit longshot at post time, Japan's Mandarin Hero is nonetheless a compelling story given the fact Japanese-based horses have done extremely well competing around the globe the past three years-winning a pair of Breeders' Cup races at Del Mar in 2021 and most recently, the Dubai World Cup and UAE Derby on March 25 with Usheba Tesoro and Derma Sotogake.

Raced exclusively at Japan's Ooi Racecourse, Mandarin Hero was unbeaten in four starts at age two and in his lone start this year, finished second, beaten a neck going a mile and one eighth on Feb. 23. The first Japanese-based horse to ever run in the Santa Anita Derby, Mandarin Hero, a colt by Shanhai Bobby, is owned by Hiroaki Arai and trained by Terunobu Fujita.

Mandarin Hero will be ridden by Kazushi Kimura, a 23-year-old Japanese native who has been Canada's leading rider for the past two years at Woodbine Racecourse and who was North America's Eclipse Champion Apprentice in 2019. Kimura, who will be leaving to return to ride full time in Toronto following this weekend, has three stakes wins at the current Classic Meet.

Santa Anita Derby Contenders Have Final Works

April 2 - Multiple contenders pointed to this Saturday's Grade I Runhappy Santa Anita Derby had their final works on Sunday including the top three finishers from last month's GII San Felipe.

Practical Move, winner of the Grade II San Felipe here March 4, drilled five furlongs in 1:01.20 for trainer Tim Yakteen. Geaux Rocket Ride, who was second beaten 2 ½ lengths in the San Felipe, worked five furlongs in company with a strong gallop-out for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella. He was timed in 59.4 seconds by track clockers.

"We're all set," Mandella said following the work.

Geaux Rocket Ride's effort in the San Felipe came in just his second start and first around two turns. Prior to the San Felipe, the son of Candy Ride broke his maiden by 5 ½ lengths going six furlongs here Jan. 29.

Skinner, who was third in the San Felipe, worked five furlongs in 59.20 seconds under Hall of Famer Victor Espinoza for John Shirreffs.

"He was just cruising," Espinoza said. "He's ready now."

Skinner was last of nine after the opening quarter mile of the San Felipe. He then launched a big move on the second turn to draw into contention before flattening out in the stretch to be beaten by 3 ¾ lengths.

Also working Sunday was National Treasure, who was the morning-line favorite for the San Felipe but had to be scratched because of a bruised foot. He has not started since a third in the Grade III Sham here Jan. 8. The son of Quality Road worked six furlongs in 1:12.6.

Scheduled to work on Monday at around 8 a.m. is Japanese import Mandarin Hero with Kazushi Kimura in the irons. Mandarin Hero arrived at Santa Anita on Friday. After galloping one lap around the main track on Saturday, the Shanghai Bobby colt toured two circuits around the oval on Sunday. His traveling party indicated Mandarin Hero has taken well to his new surroundings.

The Santa Anita Derby is one of six stakes on tap for this Saturday at Santa Anita Park. Also on the card are the Grade II Santa Anita Oaks, Grade II Charles Whittingham at 1 ¼-miles on turf, GIII Monrovia on the hillside turf course and a pair of statebred stakes going 6 ½ furlongs on the main track: the Echo Eddie for 3-year-olds and Evening Jewel for 3-year-old fillies.

Entries will be taken on Wednesday. NBC Sports will provide television coverage of the card.

2023 Santa Anita Derby Lures Mandarin Hero from Japan

March 31 - Japanese import Mandarin Hero arrived at Barn 121 at Santa Anita Friday morning after spending the previous two days at a quarantine facility near LAX.

Mandarin Hero is set to become the first horse from Japan's National Association of Racing to compete in the U.S. when he goes postward in the GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby on April 8. Trained by Terunobu Fujita, Mandarin Hero was a perfect 4-for-4 last year at Oi Racecourse near Tokyo and was a fast-closing second by a neck in his lone start this year on Feb. 2, also at Oi.

Mandarin Hero will be ridden in the 1 1/8-mile Santa Anita Derby by Japanese native Kazushi Kimura, which was first reported by Daily Racing Form's Steve Andersen on Thursday.

"I'm really proud of this opportunity," Kimura said Friday morning.

Kimura's agent, Brandon O'Bryan, said he was contacted by Mandarin Hero's connections shortly after the GII San Felipe on March 4 inquiring about riding the Santa Anita Derby. Kimura and O'Bryan agreed to the ride on Tuesday.

"What I like about this horse is his consistency. He likes to win," O'Bryan said Friday. "And the Japanese have obviously been winning races everywhere they go the last few years. We don't know exactly where this horse will fit here, but the Derby is likely to be a short field and you can't win from the jock's room."

A dark brown colt by Shanghai Bobby, Mandarin Hero will remain under quarantine conditions at Santa Anita with restricted access. Joining him on the trip from Japan were both his groom and exercise rider. Mandarin Hero will also need to be accompanied by a veterinarian each morning when he visits the track. Santa Anita Director of Racing and Racing Secretary Jason Egan said Mandarin Hero is scheduled to train between 7:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. each morning.

Kimura, North America's Eclipse Award Apprentice Jockey in 2019, has ridden full time at Santa Anita during the Classic Meet after being the leading rider at Woodbine the last two years. In 99 mounts here entering Saturday, Kimura had 10 wins including three stakes. He is scheduled to ride at Santa Anita through April 9 before returning to Toronto to prepare for Woodbine's meet opener on April 22.

O'Bryan said the plan is for Kimura to occasionally return to Santa Anita this spring for specific stakes assignments. First up will be the weekend of April 29-30. Kimura is slated to ride both Duvet Day for trainer Michael McCarthy, likely in the GIII Santa Barbara, and Kirstenbosch in the GII Santa Maria for trainer John Sadler. Kimura won the Astra Stakes aboard Duvet Day here on Jan. 21 and the GIII La Canada with Kirstenbosch on Jan. 15.

"I'm so satisfied with my time at Santa Anita," Kimura said Friday. "To ride with guys like Frankie Dettori and John Velazquez has been like a dream. With some nice stakes horses also, it's just been great."

Entries for the Santa Anita Derby, as well as the remainder of the April 8 card, will be taken on Wednesday. Other stakes on tap that day are the GII Santa Anita Oaks, GII Charles Whittingham, GII Monrovia and both the Echo Eddie and Evening Jewel for statebreds.

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