The Road to the Kentucky Derby on the West Coast winds to a close Saturday with the Santa Anita Derby, which drew nine leading three-year-old prospects trying to punch their ticket to Louisville.
On Saturday, April 8, the Southern California spur of the Road to the Kentucky Derby reaches its dramatic conclusion with the Santa Anita Derby! Covering 1 ⅛ miles on the dirt, the race offers a $750,000 purse as well as 100-40-30-20-10 Road to the Kentucky Derby points for its top five eligible finishers.
The winner of the Santa Anita Derby gets enough points to be guaranteed a spot in the Kentucky Derby. The second-place finisher likely gets enough points to make the field as well, and even the next three across the wire are in a good spot if they have done well in other points races.
The Santa Anita Derby is one of the most important Kentucky Derby preps: ten winners have gone on to win the Kentucky Derby. This includes Triple Crown winners Justify (2018) and Affirmed (1978). It also includes some recent superstars like California Chrome (2014) and I’ll Have Another (2012), making this one of the most relevant races on the road to the Kentucky Derby!
Keep reading to find out the best places to bet this horse race online in New York!
Before beginning to handicap the Santa Anita Derby, it is important to choose the right online betting site. Picking the best site for your betting style can ensure a trusted betting experience as well as the best possible profits. Our experts are here to help, and their reviews of New York racebooks can help you make the best choice quickly!
Every recommended racebook give you trusted cash-outs, smooth user interfaces, and real Vegas odds. Each site also presents lucrative bonus offers that you will never find on track, such as rebates, sign-up and deposit incentives, and referral benefits. Taking a few minutes now to choose the best betting site for your betting style can set you up for hundreds or even thousands of dollars in cash and free bets!
These are the official contenders for the 2023 Santa Anita Derby including their trainers, jockeys, and post positions:
As the race gets closer, the odds on track will fluctuate, and they will change all the way until post time. Fortunately, you can turn the odds in your favor by betting the Santa Anita Derby online. Online racebooks offer fixed-odds wagering on major races, meaning you can lock in the best price at the moment you bet. Then, you can watch the race with confidence in what you’ll get when your horse wins!
With your online wagering account all set up, it is now time to start seriously handicapping the race These are the leading contenders in the Santa Anita Derby:
The likely favorite, and the current leader of the west-coast Derby prospects set, is Practical Move. He has won the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) and the San Felipe (G2) in his last two starts, truly coming into his own at two turns. Trainer Tim Yakteen (who has had him all along, unlike National Treasure) does well with runners second off the lay, suggesting he still has upside, and his tactical speed can afford him a good trip.
Geaux Rocket Ride was outfinished by Practical Move in the San Felipe, but that was only the horse’s second start and his first at a route. Trainer Richard Mandella moves horses forward second-time route, and both he and jockey Flavien Prat are having good meets at Santa Anita. With upside on the stretch out to nine furlongs, he shapes as the other win contender, at a bit better price.
National Treasure is the obvious exotic horse. He is already a money finisher in three Derby points races. He has shown quality tactical speed, though he makes the most sense for exotics and not the win end both because of his tendency to run underneath and the fact that he was sidelined about a month back with a sore foot, instead of running in the San Felipe.
Skinner will be a relatively short price, especially as an underneath rung of exotic pools, but between his tendency to start slowly and his sprint-oriented female family, there are questions. You have to take a stand somewhere, so instead of using him in exotics, there are two others who interest at a better price.
Mandarin Hero ships out from Japan. Though he races on the less prestigious NAR circuit and not the JRA, some good NAR horses have been able to fire internationally: Marche Lorraine in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff, anyone? He has tactical speed and should be fitter second off the lay. Low Expectations also intrigues for a piece. He can get a clean, forward trip outside of horses, and won’t be chasing a pace nearly as nuclear as the one last out at Sunland.
This is time for the best part of all: making your wager on the race! Here are the experts’ best bets for the 2023 Santa Anita Derby:
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