In what was supposed to be Life Is Good’s grand send-off to Churchill Downs before he got hurt, Saturday’s Grade 1, US$750,000 Santa Anita Derby instead will feature two understudies, inviting rematches and an undefeated turf graduate among the 10 horses who got their post positions Wednesday.
Medina Spirit, whose only blemishes in four races were a pair of second-place finishes to stablemate Life Is Good, drew post 7 and is the clear favourite to win the race, which carries 100-40-20-10 in Kentucky Derby qualifying points. With John Velazquez flying in from the East Coast for the ride, a top-two finish would clinch a trip to Louisville with Concert Tour, the other Bob Baffert-trained 3-year-old who already has enough points to get there.
Defunded, a gelding who broke his maiden only four weeks ago, graduates for Baffert from entry-level sprints to the traditional 1 1/8-mile distance of a final Kentucky Derby prep. Mike Smith gets the ride from the outside gate in search of his fourth consecutive win in this race and his fifth overall.
About Medina Spirit’s draw, Baffert said “OK” in a text message from the Fasig-Tipton sale in Florida. As for Defunded, he said, “Don’t like 10.”
With either horse Baffert could extend to 10 the record he holds for most Santa Anita Derby training triumphs.
The Great One, in post-9 for trainer Doug O’Neill, Parnelli in stall 4 for John Shirreffs, Roman Centurian on the rail for Simon Callaghan and Dream Shake in gate 2 for Peter Eurton will be out to do better than finish behind Medina Spirit, something they already did in prep races this winter. O’Neill is a two-time winner of this race, Shirreffs won it last year with Honor A. P., and Callaghan and Eurton are hoping for a first Santa Anita Derby victory.
“I think we were just trying to peak at the right time,” Eurton said of Dream Shake, who was third March 6 in the San Felipe (G2). “Hopefully it’s this Saturday. I hope I’ve got a tighter horse that’s got a little more experience. It’s asking a lot, but I feel he’s up for the challenge.”
Stakes winner Rock Your World, in post-3 with jockey Umberto Rispoli, carries a 2-for-2 turf record into his dirt debut for trainer John Sadler, whose previous victory in the race was in 2010 with Sidney’s Candy.
Maiden winners Law Professor in gate 8 and Ottothelegend in stall 6 as well as allowance victor Back Ring Luck in post-5 are also entered.
The Santa Anita Derby is the feature race at 7:15 p.m. EDT on a Saturday card that also includes the Santa Anita Oaks (G2), a 100-40-20-10 points prep for the Kentucky Oaks; the Royal Heroine (G2) turf mile for older fillies and mares; and the Providencia Stakes (G3) for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/8 miles on the turf.
Saturday will mark the second consecutive day back for spectators at Santa Anita, which has been approved under state and local COVID regulations to have as many as 9,000 people in the grandstand. Only holders of tickets bought in advance will be admitted, track management said.
