Meet the Contenders: $750,000 Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby | Saturday, April 6, 2024

The west coast’s premier prep for the Triple Crown will be renewed Saturday when eight runners clash in the Santa Anita Derby. It’s a race that produced last year’s Preakness winner National Treasure in addition to the horse who most recently swept the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes, Justify in 2018.

Let’s meet the contenders for the 1-1/8 miles Santa Anita Derby (Race 10):

#1-CURLIN’S KAOS: Fourth-place finisher in the Sunland Derby returns home from his New Mexico roadtrip and rematches with Stronghold. Has to make up more than 8 lengths on that one while in search of his first victory on dirt. Lone win in 5 starts came against fellow California-breds on turf in maiden company.

#2-TAPALO: New York-bred has toured all 4 major venues in California, scoring his lone win in 5 starts at Santa Anita and exiting a runner-up finish in the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields. Only runner in this lineup with experience at the 1-1/8 miles distance changes riders to Umberto Rispoli for the first time. Trainer John Sadler won the Santa Anita Derby in 2010 (Sidney’s Candy) and 2021 (Rock Your World, also teamed with Rispoli). Should be among the early pace.

#3-STRONGHOLD: Sunland Derby winner made the most of his New Mexico foray last time, pulling away by 2-1/2 lengths as the 6-5 favorite. Potential second public choice in the wagering, he’s never finished worse than second in 5 starts. Trainer Phil D’Amato, renowned in Southern California for his turf performers, seeks his first Santa Anita Derby winner and potential first trip to the Kentucky Derby. While based at Santa Anita, Stronghold’s yet to race locally. Jockey Antonio Fresu aims for his first Santa Anita Derby win.

#4-IMAGINATION: Odds-on winner of the San Felipe Stakes will be a strong favorite to give trainer Bob Baffert a record-padding 9th win in the Santa Anita Derby. Practical Move swept both of those races a year ago, the first since Baffert-trained Dortmund in 2015. Imagination has finished first or second in all 5 starts, the last 3 of which have been 2-turn routes at Santa Anita. Same connections delivered last year’s Preakness winner National Treasure, who disappointed when fourth in this race. Jockey Frankie Dettori seeks his first win in the west’s signature 3-year-old event.

#5-WYNSTOCK: Wire-to-wire winner of the Los Alamitos Futurity for co-owner Ed Allred, proprietor of Los Alamitos Racecourse. Bob Baffert trainee breaks next door to stablemate Imagination in hopes of landing the barn its record-padding 9th Santa Anita Derby victory. Wynstock tired badly to 11th in the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn since his signature victory and will be in need of a rebound. Has paired for morning workouts on multiple occasions this year with Muth, winner of last week’s Arkansas Derby with Juan Hernandez aboard. That rider looks for a lucrative set of consecutive Saturdays – not to mention his first Santa Anita Derby trophy.

#6-TESSUTO: Stretched out to a mile distance in late February to break his maiden in his third start, pressing the pace. Loses jockey Umberto Rispoli, his only pilot to date, to Derby rival Tapalo, while picking up Kazushi Kimura. Trainer George Papaprodomou seeks continued improvement from this son of Munnings making his fourth start of the Classic Meet at Santa Anita. Jockey and trainer are in search of their first SA Derby wins.

#7-MC VAY: Four-race maiden surprisingly is the only colt to appear in three legs of the Santa Anita Derby series this season, finishing fourth in the Robert B. Lewis and third in the San Felipe. He must make up nearly 7 lengths on Derby rival Imagination in the rematch and loses his stakes pilots Umberto Rispoli and Antonio Fresu to other challengers Saturday. Hector Berrios gets the call from 3-time Santa Anita Derby winner John Shirreffs (’07 Tiago, ’17 Gormley, ’20 Honor AP). Sire Constitution already is responsible for this year’s Louisiana Derby winner Catching Freedom.

#8-E J WON THE CUP: Locally based colt returns from an Arizona adventure that landed him the Turf Paradise Derby trophy 23 days prior. He’s won 2 straight since losing the first 6 races of his career, though his other victory did come on the Santa Anita main track. His connections know their way to this winner’s circle: Trainer Doug O’Neill won in ’12 with eventual Kentucky Derby-Preakness winner I’ll Have Another and again in ’13 with Goldencents; jockey Mike Smith boasts 5 Santa Anita Derby victories, most recently aboard Taiba 2 years ago.