The $500,000 Santa Anita Derby (G1) may have a small field, but the results will have a huge impact on the Kentucky Derby (G1) next month.
Just five 3-year-olds were entered for the one of Santa Anita Park’s most prestigious races, one that has produced 19 Kentucky Derby winners, including 11 who won both races.
The 88th edition of the Santa Anita Derby on Saturday (April 5) features the top two Kentucky Derby contenders meeting for the first time – Citizen Bull (9-5) and Journalism (6-5).
Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Citizen Bull, trained by Bob Baffert, has 60 Derby qualifying points and has clinched a spot in the Run for the Roses. San Felipe Stakes (G2) winner Journalism has 47.5 points and has all but secured his place in the field, limited to 20 starters. In the past, 40 points was about the cutoff point.
While their showdown could decide the early Kentucky Derby favorite, the other storyline involves Barnes (3-1), trained by Baffert and named for his assistant, Jimmy Barnes. Barnes will likely need to finish first or second to get to Churchill Downs.
Barnes, a $3.2 million purchase by Amr Zedan, has 18.75 points for his runner-up finish to Journalism in the San Felipe. Finishing third may not earn the colt enough points to make the Derby field.
In addition, the Kentucky Derby points of 100-50-25-15-10 are scaled down to 75% due to a five-horse field. The points dispersal for this race is 75-37.5-18.75-11.25-7.5.
Journalism, trained by Michael McCarthy, is the one to beat. In running down Barnes in a 1 ¾-length win in the San Felipe Stakes, Journalism registered the highest Beyer speed figure (108) recorded by an active 3-year-old this year.
The Curlin colt is riding a three-race winning streak after breaking his maiden at second asking. He won the Los Alamitos Futurity to close out his 2-year-old campaign. He’ll try to run down front-runners Citizen Bull, who went gate-to-wire in the Robert B. Lewis (G3) in his 3-year-old debut, and Barnes.
Umberto Rispoli has the call on Journalism out of post 1.
Citizen Bull, the 2-year-old champion, has won 4-of-5 and ensures Baffert will be back in the Kentucky Derby after a three-year suspension by Churchill Downs with a solid shot at a record-setting seventh Derby victory. Regular rider Martin Garcia has the call leaving from post 2.
Trainer John Shirreffs has the other two entries, Baeza and Westwood.
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