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Baffert Enters Imagination, Wynstock in SA Derby

After nominating San Felipe Stakes (G2) one-two finishers Imagination  and Wine Me Up , Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) winner Wynstock , and undefeated Maymun  to the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby (G1), trainer Bob Baffert entered only Imagination and Wynstock. That pair will take on six others in the April 6 stakes at 1 1/8 miles.

Baffert regularly fields a strong team in the Santa Anita Derby, which he won for the first time in 1996 with Cavonnier  and most recently with Roadster   in 2019. The Hall of Famer has done well using the San Felipe as a prep. He won both races with Point Given  in 2001, Pioneerof the Nile  in 2009, and Dortmund  in 2015.

That bodes well for Imagination, who is the 8-5 morning line favorite. The colt has just about everything going for him. He is by perennial leading sire Into Mischief  , and the large ownership group headed by SF Racing, Starlight Racing, and Madaket Stables paid $1.05 million for him at the 2022 Keeneland September yearling sale.

In five starts, Imagination has never finished worse than second under the guidance of some of the best jockeys in the country. Ironically, Flavien Prat, the current leading jockey nationally, piloted Imagination in his three seconds, one against Maymun. Juan Hernandez, Santa Anita’s current leader, broke Imagination’s maiden Jan. 1, while worldwide champion superstar Frankie Dettori won on him in the March 3 San Felipe and returns in the Derby from post 4.

Dettori was particularly impressed by Imagination, who won the San Felipe after being hit from behind in the clubhouse turn.

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“He fought a great duel—he was full of heart,” Dettori said after the race.

Hernandez will be aboard Wynstock from post 5 for Baffert, having ridden that colt twice early in his career. Owned by Los Alamitos executives Dr. Ed Allred and Jack Liebau, Wynstock finished his 2-year-old season with the Los Alamitos Futurity victory. In his only 2024 start to date he encountered a muddy track and a traffic jam at Oaklawn Park in the Southwest Stakes (G3) and finished last. Wynstock is listed at 8-1 on the morning line.

The Santa Anita Derby offers Kentucky Derby points ranging from 100 to 10 for first through fifth place to eligible horses. Under Churchill Downs‘ continuing suspension of Baffert stemming from Medina Spirit ‘s positive for betamethasone after the colt finished first in the Kentucky Derby three years ago, Imagination and Wynstock are not eligible to earn qualifying points.

Stronghold , the second choice on the morning line at 5-2, is one of only two other stakes winners in the Santa Anita Derby field. Phil D’Amato trains the son of Ghostzapper   and has named Antonio Fresu to ride from post 3. Stronghold, bred and owned by Eric and Sharon Waller, last year finished second in the Los Alamitos Futurity and Bob Hope Stakes (G3). In his 3-year-old debut, he scored by 2 1/2 lengths in the Sunland Park Derby (G3).

“I think that win going two turns at Sunland, the lightbulb came on,” D’Amato said. “Since then, he’s acted more professionally in his drills.”

Doug O’Neill, leading trainer at the current Santa Anita meet, trains E J Won the Cup , who comes into the Santa Anita Derby off a victory in the March 14 Turf Paradise Derby. From the first crop of Omaha Beach  , E J Won the Cup gets the services of jockey Mike Smith from post 8.

“He’d be a major longshot,” conceded O’Neill, and the morning line pegs E J Won the Cup at 15-1. O’Neill won back-to-back Santa Anita Derbies in 2012 with I’ll Have Another  and 2013 with Goldencents  . I’ll Have Another at 4-1 defeated odds-on favorite Creative Cause  , and 6-1 Goldencents beat Baffert 11-10 favorite Flashback .

Trainer John Sadler has entered Tapalo , who finished second in the Feb. 10 El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate Fields. Owned by Hronis Racing, Tapalo was one of nine horses made eligible to the Triple Crown when late payments of $6,000 were due April 1. A son of Tapiture   and 5-1 on the morning line, Tapalo drew post 2 and will be ridden for the first time by Umberto Rispoli.

Mc Vay , 5-1 on the morning line, is the most expensive purchase in the field, having sold for $1.25 million at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale. He is still a maiden after four starts, but he ran fourth in the Feb. 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3) and third in the San Felipe. John Shirreffs trains Mc Vay for Lee and Susan Searing’s C R K Stable, and Hector Berrios will ride from post 7.

Recent maiden winner Tessuto  (Kazushi Kimura, post 6), trained by George Papaprodromou, and Curlin’s Kaos  (Diego Herrera, post 1), fourth in the Sunland Derby and trained by Antonio Garcia, round out the field.

Entries: Santa Anita Derby (G1)

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, April 06, 2024, Race 10

  • Grade I
  • 1 1/8m
  • Dirt
  • $750,000
  • 3 yo
  • 4:30 PM (local)


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