Santa Anita Derby
Almost from the moment Gillie crossed the finish line to win the inaugural Santa Anita Derby in 1935, the race gained a reputation as a classic, and quickly became known as the most prestigious thoroughbred event on the West coast. Run at the distance of 1 1/8 miles on the dirt, the Santa Anita Derby carries a purse of $1 million. Held in early April, it is considered one of the major prep races for the Kentucky Derby.
In 1978, Affirmed found himself in the Santa Anita winner’s circle, a prelude to what was to come that spring when he swept the Triple Crown. One unique aspect of the Santa Anita Derby is that three horses share the race record time at the current distance with Lucky Debonair (1965), Sham (1973) and Indian Charlie (1998) all hitting the wire in front and stopping the clock in 1:47 flat. In 1998, Gary Stevens was in the saddle for that ride on Bob Baffert’s Indian Charlie, the sixth SA Derby win of nine (so far) for the Hall of Fame jockey. Those nine wins put him one ahead of Bill Shoemaker on the all-time list.
Perhaps one of the most famous runs of the Santa Anita Derby came in 1958. In front of a then-record crowd of 61,123, the race featured a field of 10, including Old Pueblo, who had come off a win in the Breeders’ Champion Stakes, and the one he had defeated in that race, Silky Sullivan. To that point, Silky Sullivan had established a reputation as coming from far behind, and the Santa Anita would prove no different, as he spotted the leader 28 lengths after the first five furlongs before rallying to win.
In consecutive years – 1997 and 1998 – the second place finisher in the Santa Anita went on to just miss racing immortality by claiming the first two legs of the American Triple Crown, only to falter in the Belmont. First up was Silver Charm, beaten by three-quarters of a length in the Belmont to Touch Gold, followed the next year by Real Quiet, who came even closer, being nipped at the wire by Victory Gallop, officially losing a photo-finish by a heart-breaking nose.
Santa Anita Derby Betting Odds
With the conventional wisdom being that favorites win horse races about one-third of the time, sometimes the best race handicapping strategy is to find a horse in the field that might offer a good Place or Show payout. While certainly not blowing up the tote board, 8-1 Mandarin Hero paid out $4.80 for second place in the 2023 Santa Anita, more than Practical Move paid on a Win ticket. Horseplayers can add to that total with bonuses and cash back from our recommeneded online racebooks, including Bovada, our #1 choice.
2024 Santa Anita Derby Contenders
Check back closer to race day for the 2024 Santa Anita Derby contenders!
