The 2023 Santa Anita Derby runners see 9 entries heading to post for Saturday’s big Kentucky Derby Trial race. The Tim Yakteen barn have a strong hand with both Practical Move and National Treasure – can the former Bob Baffert assistant win the race for a season year in-a-row?
We’ve got all the entries, riders, betting and post positions for the Santa Anita Park showpiece below.
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2023 Santa Anita Runners: Trainer Tim Yakteen Looks Follow Up Last Year’s Win with Two Big Fancies
The Tim Yakteen barn have a decent hand going into Saturday’s Santa Anita Derby with two of the main fancies in the contest – Practical Move and National Treasure.
It’s also another of the big trial races on the road to the Kentucky Derby on Saturday May 6 – with the points on offer to the top five finishers 100-40-30-20-10.
12 months ago the Yakteen team sent out Taiba to win the $400,000 race (watch below) so will be hoping for a famous double with either National Treasure or Practical Move, who is around 12/1 for the Kentucky Derby behind last week’s impressive Florida Derby winner Forte at 3/1 with the best US horse racing sites.
Of the two Yakteen runners, National Treasure used to be housed with Bob Baffert, but with his Kentucky Derby ban still in play the switch in yards is so the horse can have a chance of running in the big Churchill Downs race next month.
It might also pay to note that Bob Baffert has won the Santa Anita Derby a monster 9 times! With the first coming in 1996 with Cavonnier and the most recent in 2019 with Roadster.
RELATED: Best Horse Racing Betting Apps in USA
What Time/Date Is The 2023 Santa Anita Derby?
📅Time/Date: 5:45pm EDT (Race 6), Saturday April 8, 2023
🏇Racecourse: Santa Anita Park, California (Grade 1, Dirt, 1m 1/8 for 3 yo)
💰 Purse/Winner: $400,000
📺 TV: NBC Sports
Santa Anita Derby Entries, Riders Post Positions and Betting Odds
1 (1): I DON’T GET IT @ 20/1
Jockey: Mario Gutierrez
Trainer: Doug F. O’Neill
All three career runs have been at Santa Anita – breaking his duck last time in a Maiden Special Weight. Clearly has ability and going the right way, but this is a big step up.
2 (2): DAZZLEMESILVER @ 50/1
Jockey: Kent J. Desormeaux
Trainer: J. Keith Desormeaux
Just the two career runs and yet to get off the mark suggests he’s got some improvement to find in this company.
3 (3): GEAUX ROCKET RIDE @ 3/1
Jockey: Flavien Prat
Trainer: Richard E. Mandella
Promising runner-up in the San Felipe Stakes at this track last time out but has just over 2 lengths to find with the winner Practical Move. Going in the right direction and should not be far away – however, needs to improve to overturn the form of that last run.
4 (4): ONE IN VERMILLION @ 50/1
Jockey: Hector I. Berrios
Trainer: Esteban Martinez
One of the more experienced in the field with 5 runs and has three wins under his belt, including winning the Riley Allison Derby at Sunland Park in January. However, last seen running down the field in the G3 Sunland Park Derby (5th), so would need to leave that run behind to figure.
5 (5): PRACTICAL MOVE @ 8/5
Jockey: Ramon A. Vazquez
Trainer: Tim Yakteen
Last seen winning the G2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita – beating another runner here Geaux Rocket Ride by 2 1/2 lengths. On that form, looks a huge player.
6 (6): NATIONAL TREASURE @ 3/1
Jockey: John R. Velazquez
Trainer: Tim Yakteen
Switched from the Baffert barn to the Yakteen camp to be able to qualify for the Kentucky Derby if running well here. Won a Maiden Special Weight on debut at Del Mar last year, which remains his only win from four runs. That said, has run in some hot races and been placed in them all – including a second in the G1 American Pharoah Stakes here last October and took a bronze in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile too. On those runs, looks sure to play a leading role.
7 (7): SKINNER @ 4/1
Jockey: Victor Espinoza
Trainer: John A. Shirreffs
Curlin colt that has won one of his 5 starts. Was third in the already mentioned San Felipe Stakes last time behind Practical Move, while last season was 6th in the American Pharoah Stakes and third in the Del Mar Futurity. Fair overall form suggests he can run well but does have some ground to make up with several.
8 (8): MANDARIN HERO @ 8/1
Jockey: Kazushi Kimura
Trainer: Terunobu Fujita
Could be the dark horse in the race, from Japan. Heads here having won 4 of his 5 starts and globetrotting horses from Japan are having a good time of it of late with Usheba Tesoro winning the Dubai World Cup last month. Last seen running second at Oi racecourse – beaten just a neck. He’ll be the first Japanese horse to run in the Santa Anita Derby and will be ridden by Kazushi Kimura, who has been the leading rider in Canada at Woodbine for the last 2 years, so is no stranger to riding in this part of the world.
9 (9): LOW EXPECTATIONS @ 30/1
Jockey: Umberto Rispoli
Trainer: Antonio Garcia
7-raced gelding that has won twice. Has certainly kicked on this year, with three runs that have seen two wins and a second. The last of those runs was a silver medal in the Sunland Park Derby last month. Going the right way, so could outrun his odds, but this is harder.
You can bet on the Santa Anita Derby with BetOnline and also get $1000 in free horse racing bets.
Note: Odds are subject to change.
Santa Anita Derby 1-2-3 Trifecta Pick
1. Practical Move
2. National Treasure
3. Mandarin Hero
Eleven Past Santa Anita Derby Winner Have Gone onto Win The Kentucky Derby
To date, the Santa Anita Derby has produced eleven Kentucky Derby winners. Winning Colors in 1988 remains the only filly to win both races, but we’ve seen ten others take both prizes too.
The most recent Santa Anita Derby winner to follow-up a month later in the Kentucky Derby was the Bob Baffert-trained Justify in 2018. While other big names to take both pots were Affirmed in 1978 and California Chrome in 2014.
Here’s the full list of Santa Anita Derby winners to also win the Kentucky Derby
- 2018 Justify
- 2014 California Chrome
- 2012 I’ll Have Another
- 1989 Sunday Silence
- 1988 Winning Coast
- 1978 Affirmed
- 1969 Majestic Prince
- 1965 Lucky Debonair
- 1955 Swaps
- 1954 Determine
- 1952 Hill Gail
Note – we’ve also seen seven horses that DIDN’T win the Santa Anita Derby that went onto win the Kentucky Derby, so don’t be too worried if your Churchill Downs fancy doesn’t win Saturday’s race.
Forte The Current 2023 Kentucky Derby Favorite and Betting
The recent Florida Derby winner – Forte – heads the betting for the 2023 Kentucky Derby.
Forte is the current 3/1 favorite for the Kentucky Derby on May 6 with BetOnline, with Arkansas Derby winner Angel Of Empire (10/1), Tapit Trice (10/1) & Practical Move (12/1), with the 2023 Louisiana Derby winner Kingsbarns (14/1).
Recent Winners
- 2022 – Taiba
- 2021 – Rock Your World
- 2020 – Honor A. P
- 2019 – Roadster
- 2018 – Justify
WATCH: Taiba winning the 2022 Santa Anita Derby
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