Betting Guide
2024 Santa Anita Derby
Odds and Contenders
2024 Santa Anita Derby Betting
By TVG Staff
Updated April 4, 2024
The Santa Anita Derby is not only one of the premier horse races for three-year-olds in the United States, but it is also one of the best Kentucky Derby prep races. The race drew a quality field of nine this year, including West Coast leaders Practical Move and National Treasure, as well as up-and-comers like Geaux Rocket Ride and Skinner, and even a Japanese shipper in Mandarin Hero.
The 1 ⅛-mile dirt race will be run Saturday, April 6, at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The Grade 1 horse race has had a purse as high as $1 million in the past, though for the last three years it has held steady at $750,000, making it still one of the richest Kentucky Derby tune-ups on the calendar.
In addition to the rich purse, the race has a lot of Kentucky Derby points at stake: 100-50-25-15-10 for the first five qualifying horses across the wire. The winner’s share and even the second-place amount have always been enough to get a horse into the Kentucky Derby, ever since the advent of the points system in 2013. Even the third- and fourth-place points are enough to get a horse most of the way there, or even in some years all the way there.
Note that two of the eight runners in the 2024 Santa Anita Derby, Imagination and Wynstock, cannot earn Kentucky Derby points because they are in the barn of trainer Bob Baffert. However, they are eligible for purse money. And, a good run in this race could set them up for other major three-year-old races like the Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes, or later races.
The Santa Anita Derby has been a fruitful prep for the Kentucky Derby throughout its history. Ten horses have won both the Santa Anita Derby and the Kentucky Derby, and even some underneath finishers have won the Run for the Roses, most recently second-place finisher Authentic in 2020. Triple Crown winners Affirmed and Justify both won the Santa Anita Derby, and all-time memorable winners like Winning Colors, Sunday Silence, and California Chrome also did. Other horses, like fan-favorite Silver Charm, parlayed underneath finishes into a big win in Kentucky.
Santa Anita Derby Odds
This is the official field for the 2024 Santa Anita Derby, including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning-line odds for the race:
| Post | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | ML Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Curlin’s Kaos | Antonio Garcia | Diego Herrera | 20-1 |
| 2 | Tapalo | John Sadler | Umberto Rispoli | 5-1 |
| 3 | Stronghold | Phil D’Amato | Antonio Fresu | 5-2 |
| 4 | Imagination | Bob Baffert | Frankie Dettori | 8-5 |
| 5 | Wynstock | Bob Baffert | Juan Hernandez | 8-1 |
| 6 | Tessuto | George Papaprodromou | Kazushi Kimura | 10-1 |
| 7 | Mc Vay | John Shirreffs | Hector Berrios | 5-1 |
| 8 | E J Won the Cup | Doug O’Neill | Mike Smith | 15-1 |
The morning lines are an educated estimation of what the post-time odds will be. However, the odds can drift due to betting action. So, it is profitable to keep an eye on the news, look at the horses the day of the race, and watch the odds on your horses as post time approaches.
Santa Anita Park
Against a dazzling backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains, Santa Anita Park is one of the most beautiful and recognizable racetracks in the world. It has been racing since the 1930s, with some of the sport’s most famous stars passing through its grounds. Zenyatta, American Pharoah, Justify, and Arrogate all called Santa Anita home, as well as Sunday Silence, Winning Colors, Silky Sullivan, and more.
Santa Anita has hosted the Breeders’ Cup 10 times, and is most famous for the Santa Anita Handicap, which was first run in 1935. The race was the first to have a purse of $100,000, and was $1 million for many years. Seabiscuit was one of the early winners, and is remembered with a statue in the paddock.
Santa Anita Derby Prep Results
The Santa Anita Derby is the final race in a series of prep races along the road to the Triple Crown. The track’s series of points races begins with the Robert B. Lewis (G3), a 20-point race in the first week of February. The first weekend of March has the San Felipe (G2), the 50-point race in the Southern California sequence. The Santa Anita Derby (G1) is the final prep race in California.
This year, both winners of the Kentucky Derby preps at Santa Anita have hailed from the Bob Baffert barn. Nysos won the Robert B. Lewis, while Imagination won the San Felipe after Nysos was scratched. Imagination lines up at the starting gate as the morning-line favorite for the Santa Anita Derby.
Santa Anita Derby Contenders
These are the leading contenders in the field for the 2024 Santa Anita Derby.
Imagination: Winner of a four-horse San Felipe, he faces a somewhat deeper field in the Santa Anita Derby. However, between that win and a close second behind the promising Maymun in an allowance on February 11, he has shown the quality and the grit to be a logical favorite in this spot.
Stronghold: In five starts, he has not finished worse than second, including a pair of stakes races on dirt in southern California. This is a deeper field than he beat in the Sunland Park Derby last out, but his recent races have come back fast enough to make him a logical contender in this race. His tactical speed also gives him a good chance to get a favorable trip. A win would be a surprise, as he always seems to find one too good in California, but he is a must-use in exactas and trifectas.
Tapalo: He comes in off of a second-place finish in the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields. Though that race was on synthetic, it makes him the only horse in the field who has tried this nine-furlong distance. The winner of the El Camino Real Derby, Endlessly, returned to win the Jeff Ruby (G3) in dominant fashion. And, Tapalo also has dirt form: he graduated at seven furlongs on the Santa Anita dirt. With his tactical speed and improving form, he has a good chance—expect him to provide good win pool value in this race.
Wynstock: Wynstock comes in off of a disappointing 11th-place finish in the Southwest (G3) at Oaklawn Park, but that happened on a muddy track. He returns to his better-proven game in the Santa Anita Derby: a route distance over fast southern California dirt. He probably has the speed to be forward even in this race replete with speed, and if he shows the gameness he showed in the Los Alamitos Derby, it would be no surprise for him to find the frame as the Bob Baffert “B” entrant.
Santa Anita Derby Past Winners Past Performances
Many Santa Anita Derby winners have gone on to great heights in horse racing. It is one of the most productive races in North America.
2018 Santa Anita Derby winner Justify went on to be an undefeated winner of the Triple Crown. Exaggerator, in 2016, won the Preakness Stakes that year. Both California Chrome (2014) and I’ll Have Another (2012) won both the Derby and the Preakness, and California Chrome ultimately won the Dubai World Cup (G1) as well.
Pioneerof the Nile, who won in 2009, ran second in the Kentucky Derby but went on to sire Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. Point Given in 2001 won the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, and A. P. Indy not only took the Breeders’ Cup Classic but became one of the most influential stallions in history.
Post Time for the Santa Anita Derby
The 2024 Santa Anita Derby will be run at 4:30 pm PDT on Saturday, April 6. It is scheduled as the tenth race of twelve on the Santa Anita card. The race is one of three Kentucky Derby preps that day: the Wood (G1) will be run at Aqueduct, and the Blue Grass (G1) at Keeneland. All three of these races offer 100-50-25-15-10 points to the top five finishers, making them extremely important for the development of the Kentucky Derby field.
Santa Anita Derby Undercard
This Santa Anita Derby undercard makes it one of the best days of racing on the year. There are five stakes races on the card, including a trio of graded races. In addition to the Santa Anita Derby, the card also features the Santa Anita Oaks (G2), a 100-point prep race for the Kentucky Oaks. The card also features one other graded race, the Monrovia (G3) for filly and mare turf sprinters. In addition, the day features a pair of dirt sprint stakes races for California-bred sophomores: the Echo Eddie open to males or females, and the Evening Jewel for sophomore fillies.
About Santa Anita
Located in Arcadia, California around six miles from Pasadena and 16 from downtown LA, Santa Anita Park hosts top-class thoroughbred horse racing in the shadow of the San Gabriel Mountains. Santa Anita has many Grade 1 and Grade 2 races and has hosted the Breeders’ Cup eight times, most recently in 2016 when Arrogate won a thrilling renewal of the Breeders’ Cup Classic against strong favorite California Chrome in the finale.
The Park encompasses more than 320 acres of land and features a 26,000-capacity grandstand which is over 1,000 feet long. Given its popularity, the infield is open to racegoers dramatically increasing the capacity on race day.
On its record day back in 1993, Santa Anita Park announced a handle of $36,264,799 on a single day. Since then, billions more dollars have been wagered at the track.
Santa Anita History
Santa Anita Park started life as part of Rancho Santa Anita, a property bought by Scotsman Hugo Reid. It was later acquired by breeder Lucky Baldwin who built a race track by what is now modern-day Arcadia. The original facility opened in 1904, closed in 1909, and burned down in 1912.
Once horse racing was allowed again in the state and pari-mutuel betting was legalized in 1933, several working groups came together to form the Los Angeles Turf Club, which opened the present track on Christmas Day 1934.
The first Santa Anita Handicap, already worth $100,000, was run in 1935. Over the years, stars like Cary Grant and Bing Crosby became shareholders in the track.
The amazing Seabiscuit was a visitor at the track and won the Santa Anita Handicap on his final career start, just before racing was suspended due to World War II.
Santa Anita went from strength to strength through the 50s, 60s, and 70s and hosted equestrian events at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
Santa Anita is still the place to see many of the world’s best racehorses. Ten Santa Anita Derby winners have gone on to win the Kentucky Derby, but the class lasts all year long. It has also hosted a record ten Breeders’ Cup Championships, most recently in 2019. It remains one of the best racecourses in the world.
Santa Anita Track Details
The main track is a one-mile dirt oval which has a large, 9/10- of a mile turf track to the inside. A key feature at Santa Anita is its extra hillside turf track to the northwest of the main track, crossing over the dirt and meeting the main turf track. It is used for races of around 6½ furlongs in distance.
Santa Anita Derby FAQ
Q: When is the Santa Anita Derby?
A: The race will be run on Saturday, April 6, 2024.
Q: Where is the Santa Anita Derby?
A: It takes place at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, which is just outside of Los Angeles.
Q: Which trainer has the most wins in the Santa Anita Derby?
A: Bob Baffert has won this race nine times between 1996 and 2019. He also trained 2022 winner Taiba before he was transferred to the barn of Tim Yakteen for Derby eligibility reasons. He goes for his tenth victory in this race in 2024, with both Imagination and Wynstock.
Q: Who is the favorite for the Santa Anita Derby?
A: Imagination is the 8-5 morning-line favorite off of his victory in the San Felipe last out. Between that and his close second to Maymun, he should hold as the favorite all the way through post time.
Q: Who is the best Santa Anita Derby jockey?
A: The now-retired jockey Gary Stevens has won this race nine times. Among jockeys entered in the 2024 edition, Hall of Famer Mike Smith leads with five wins. He goes for a sixth with long shot E J Won the Cup.
Q: Who won the Santa Anita Derby in 2023?
A: Practical Move won the Santa Anita Derby for trainer Tim Yakteen and jockey Ramon Vazquez. Neither of them has a horse in the 2024 edition.
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By TVG Staff
Updated April 4, 2024
The Santa Anita Derby is not only one of the premier horse races for three-year-olds in the United States, but it is also one of the best Kentucky Derby prep races. The race drew a quality field of nine this year, including West Coast leaders Practical Move and National Treasure, as well as up-and-comers like Geaux Rocket Ride and Skinner, and even a Japanese shipper in Mandarin Hero.
The 1 ⅛-mile dirt race will be run Saturday, April 6, at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. The Grade 1 horse race has had a purse as high as $1 million in the past, though for the last three years it has held steady at $750,000, making it still one of the richest Kentucky Derby tune-ups on the calendar.
In addition to the rich purse, the race has a lot of Kentucky Derby points at stake: 100-50-25-15-10 for the first five qualifying horses across the wire. The winner’s share and even the second-place amount have always been enough to get a horse into the Kentucky Derby, ever since the advent of the points system in 2013. Even the third- and fourth-place points are enough to get a horse most of the way there, or even in some years all the way there.
Note that two of the eight runners in the 2024 Santa Anita Derby, Imagination and Wynstock, cannot earn Kentucky Derby points because they are in the barn of trainer Bob Baffert. However, they are eligible for purse money. And, a good run in this race could set them up for other major three-year-old races like the Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes, or later races.
The Santa Anita Derby has been a fruitful prep for the Kentucky Derby throughout its history. Ten horses have won both the Santa Anita Derby and the Kentucky Derby, and even some underneath finishers have won the Run for the Roses, most recently second-place finisher Authentic in 2020. Triple Crown winners Affirmed and Justify both won the Santa Anita Derby, and all-time memorable winners like Winning Colors, Sunday Silence, and California Chrome also did. Other horses, like fan-favorite Silver Charm, parlayed underneath finishes into a big win in Kentucky.
Santa Anita Derby Odds
This is the official field for the 2024 Santa Anita Derby, including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning-line odds for the race:
| Post | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | ML Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Curlin’s Kaos | Antonio Garcia | Diego Herrera | 20-1 |
| 2 | Tapalo | John Sadler | Umberto Rispoli | 5-1 |
| 3 | Stronghold | Phil D’Amato | Antonio Fresu | 5-2 |
| 4 | Imagination | Bob Baffert | Frankie Dettori | 8-5 |
| 5 | Wynstock | Bob Baffert | Juan Hernandez | 8-1 |
| 6 | Tessuto | George Papaprodromou | Kazushi Kimura | 10-1 |
| 7 | Mc Vay | John Shirreffs | Hector Berrios | 5-1 |
| 8 | E J Won the Cup | Doug O’Neill | Mike Smith | 15-1 |
The morning lines are an educated estimation of what the post-time odds will be. However, the odds can drift due to betting action. So, it is profitable to keep an eye on the news, look at the horses the day of the race, and watch the odds on your horses as post time approaches.
Santa Anita Park
Against a dazzling backdrop of the San Gabriel Mountains, Santa Anita Park is one of the most beautiful and recognizable racetracks in the world. It has been racing since the 1930s, with some of the sport’s most famous stars passing through its grounds. Zenyatta, American Pharoah, Justify, and Arrogate all called Santa Anita home, as well as Sunday Silence, Winning Colors, Silky Sullivan, and more.
Santa Anita has hosted the Breeders’ Cup 10 times, and is most famous for the Santa Anita Handicap, which was first run in 1935. The race was the first to have a purse of $100,000, and was $1 million for many years. Seabiscuit was one of the early winners, and is remembered with a statue in the paddock.
Santa Anita Derby Prep Results
The Santa Anita Derby is the final race in a series of prep races along the road to the Triple Crown. The track’s series of points races begins with the Robert B. Lewis (G3), a 20-point race in the first week of February. The first weekend of March has the San Felipe (G2), the 50-point race in the Southern California sequence. The Santa Anita Derby (G1) is the final prep race in California.
This year, both winners of the Kentucky Derby preps at Santa Anita have hailed from the Bob Baffert barn. Nysos won the Robert B. Lewis, while Imagination won the San Felipe after Nysos was scratched. Imagination lines up at the starting gate as the morning-line favorite for the Santa Anita Derby.
Santa Anita Derby Contenders
These are the leading contenders in the field for the 2024 Santa Anita Derby.
Imagination: Winner of a four-horse San Felipe, he faces a somewhat deeper field in the Santa Anita Derby. However, between that win and a close second behind the promising Maymun in an allowance on February 11, he has shown the quality and the grit to be a logical favorite in this spot.
Stronghold: In five starts, he has not finished worse than second, including a pair of stakes races on dirt in southern California. This is a deeper field than he beat in the Sunland Park Derby last out, but his recent races have come back fast enough to make him a logical contender in this race. His tactical speed also gives him a good chance to get a favorable trip. A win would be a surprise, as he always seems to find one too good in California, but he is a must-use in exactas and trifectas.
Tapalo: He comes in off of a second-place finish in the El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields. Though that race was on synthetic, it makes him the only horse in the field who has tried this nine-furlong distance. The winner of the El Camino Real Derby, Endlessly, returned to win the Jeff Ruby (G3) in dominant fashion. And, Tapalo also has dirt form: he graduated at seven furlongs on the Santa Anita dirt. With his tactical speed and improving form, he has a good chance—expect him to provide good win pool value in this race.
Wynstock: Wynstock comes in off of a disappointing 11th-place finish in the Southwest (G3) at Oaklawn Park, but that happened on a muddy track. He returns to his better-proven game in the Santa Anita Derby: a route distance over fast southern California dirt. He probably has the speed to be forward even in this race replete with speed, and if he shows the gameness he showed in the Los Alamitos Derby, it would be no surprise for him to find the frame as the Bob Baffert “B” entrant.
Santa Anita Derby Past Winners Past Performances
Many Santa Anita Derby winners have gone on to great heights in horse racing. It is one of the most productive races in North America.
2018 Santa Anita Derby winner Justify went on to be an undefeated winner of the Triple Crown. Exaggerator, in 2016, won the Preakness Stakes that year. Both California Chrome (2014) and I’ll Have Another (2012) won both the Derby and the Preakness, and California Chrome ultimately won the Dubai World Cup (G1) as well.
Pioneerof the Nile, who won in 2009, ran second in the Kentucky Derby but went on to sire Triple Crown winner American Pharoah. Point Given in 2001 won the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes, and A. P. Indy not only took the Breeders’ Cup Classic but became one of the most influential stallions in history.
Post Time for the Santa Anita Derby
The 2024 Santa Anita Derby will be run at 4:30 pm PDT on Saturday, April 6. It is scheduled as the tenth race of twelve on the Santa Anita card. The race is one of three Kentucky Derby preps that day: the Wood (G1) will be run at Aqueduct, and the Blue Grass (G1) at Keeneland. All three of these races offer 100-50-25-15-10 points to the top five finishers, making them extremely important for the development of the Kentucky Derby field.
Santa Anita Derby Undercard
This Santa Anita Derby undercard makes it one of the best days of racing on the year. There are five stakes races on the card, including a trio of graded races. In addition to the Santa Anita Derby, the card also features the Santa Anita Oaks (G2), a 100-point prep race for the Kentucky Oaks. The card also features one other graded race, the Monrovia (G3) for filly and mare turf sprinters. In addition, the day features a pair of dirt sprint stakes races for California-bred sophomores: the Echo Eddie open to males or females, and the Evening Jewel for sophomore fillies.
About Santa Anita
Located in Arcadia, California around six miles from Pasadena and 16 from downtown LA, Santa Anita Park hosts top-class thoroughbred horse racing in the shadow of the San Gabriel Mountains. Santa Anita has many Grade 1 and Grade 2 races and has hosted the Breeders’ Cup eight times, most recently in 2016 when Arrogate won a thrilling renewal of the Breeders’ Cup Classic against strong favorite California Chrome in the finale.
The Park encompasses more than 320 acres of land and features a 26,000-capacity grandstand which is over 1,000 feet long. Given its popularity, the infield is open to racegoers dramatically increasing the capacity on race day.
On its record day back in 1993, Santa Anita Park announced a handle of $36,264,799 on a single day. Since then, billions more dollars have been wagered at the track.
Santa Anita History
Santa Anita Park started life as part of Rancho Santa Anita, a property bought by Scotsman Hugo Reid. It was later acquired by breeder Lucky Baldwin who built a race track by what is now modern-day Arcadia. The original facility opened in 1904, closed in 1909, and burned down in 1912.
Once horse racing was allowed again in the state and pari-mutuel betting was legalized in 1933, several working groups came together to form the Los Angeles Turf Club, which opened the present track on Christmas Day 1934.
The first Santa Anita Handicap, already worth $100,000, was run in 1935. Over the years, stars like Cary Grant and Bing Crosby became shareholders in the track.
The amazing Seabiscuit was a visitor at the track and won the Santa Anita Handicap on his final career start, just before racing was suspended due to World War II.
Santa Anita went from strength to strength through the 50s, 60s, and 70s and hosted equestrian events at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
Santa Anita is still the place to see many of the world’s best racehorses. Ten Santa Anita Derby winners have gone on to win the Kentucky Derby, but the class lasts all year long. It has also hosted a record ten Breeders’ Cup Championships, most recently in 2019. It remains one of the best racecourses in the world.
Santa Anita Track Details
The main track is a one-mile dirt oval which has a large, 9/10- of a mile turf track to the inside. A key feature at Santa Anita is its extra hillside turf track to the northwest of the main track, crossing over the dirt and meeting the main turf track. It is used for races of around 6½ furlongs in distance.
Santa Anita Derby FAQ
Q: When is the Santa Anita Derby?
A: The race will be run on Saturday, April 6, 2024.
Q: Where is the Santa Anita Derby?
A: It takes place at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California, which is just outside of Los Angeles.
Q: Which trainer has the most wins in the Santa Anita Derby?
A: Bob Baffert has won this race nine times between 1996 and 2019. He also trained 2022 winner Taiba before he was transferred to the barn of Tim Yakteen for Derby eligibility reasons. He goes for his tenth victory in this race in 2024, with both Imagination and Wynstock.
Q: Who is the favorite for the Santa Anita Derby?
A: Imagination is the 8-5 morning-line favorite off of his victory in the San Felipe last out. Between that and his close second to Maymun, he should hold as the favorite all the way through post time.
Q: Who is the best Santa Anita Derby jockey?
A: The now-retired jockey Gary Stevens has won this race nine times. Among jockeys entered in the 2024 edition, Hall of Famer Mike Smith leads with five wins. He goes for a sixth with long shot E J Won the Cup.
Q: Who won the Santa Anita Derby in 2023?
A: Practical Move won the Santa Anita Derby for trainer Tim Yakteen and jockey Ramon Vazquez. Neither of them has a horse in the 2024 edition.