Preakness Quick Sheet: Get to Know the 2021 Preakness Horses
Forbidden Kingdom (left) and Messier are the undisputed headliners of Saturday’s Santa Anita Derby, with both coming in off of emphatic stakes wins.
The $750,000, Grade 1 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby Saturday at Santa Anita Park looks like a classic showdown between two elite West Coast-based 3-year-olds with legitimate Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve aspirations.
That should come as no surprise as the 1 1/8-mile race historically has been one of the most important prep races for the Triple Crown and a heck of a race to win in its own right. Twenty 3-year-olds have competed in the Santa Anita Derby and gone on to win the Kentucky Derby, including 11 racehorses talented enough to win them both: Hill Gail (1952), Determine (1954), Swaps (1955), Lucky Debonair (1965), Majestic Prince (1969), Affirmed (1978), the filly Winning Colors (1988), Sunday Silence (1989), I’ll Have Another (2012), California Chrome (2014), and Justify (2018).
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This year’s Runhappy Santa Anita Derby will match San Felipe Stakes winner Forbidden Kingdom against Robert B. Lewis Stakes winner Messier in what promises to be an exciting race that drew six entrants.
Tim Yakteen trains three of the six Santa Anita Derby entrants, each of whom was recently transferred to his barn from Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert. Baffert is ineligible to participate in the Kentucky Derby in 2022 and 2023 because of Medina Spirit’s disqualification from first in the 2021 Kentucky Derby due to a medication violation, thus Baffert-trained 3-year-olds are not eligible to earn any points toward qualifying for the first jewel of the Triple Crown.
Now in the care of Yakteen, Armagnac, Messier, and Taiba will have a shot to qualify for the run for the roses.
Read on to learn about all of the Santa Anita Derby contenders.
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1. Happy Jack (20-1 morning-line odds)
Jockey: Abel Cedillo
Trainer: Doug O'Neill
Owner: Calumet Farm
Career record: 3 starts – 1 win – 0 seconds – 1 third
Career earnings: $92,200
Earnings per start: $30,733
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 98
Kentucky Derby points: 10
Pedigree: Oxbow – Tapitstry, by Tapit
Color: Bay
Running style: Closer
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Happy Jack will try to give both trainer Doug O’Neill (I’ll Have Another, 2012; Goldencents, 2013) and owner Calumet Farm (Hill Gail, 1952; Chanlea, 1953) their third win in the Santa Anita Derby. Of course, Calumet Farm has changed hands several times since the 1950s and now is the racing-breeding operation of Brad Kelley. Happy Jack faces a tough task here having finished 27 ¼ lengths behind Messier when fifth in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes in February and 10 ½ lengths behind Forbidden Kingdom March 5 in a third-place finish in the San Felipe Stakes. The Oxbow colt earned a 98 Equibase Sped Figure sprinting in his January debut, but Happy Jack would have to improve by about 20 points from the 86 he earned in the San Felipe to compete with the likes of Messier and Forbidden Kingdom. Barring a blistering pace duel in the early running that favorably sets up Happy Jack’s closing style, the best-case scenario might be a late rally from Happy Jack to round out the trifecta.
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2. Armagnac (20-1)
Jockey: Drayden Van Dyke
Trainer: Tim Yakteen
Career record: 3 starts – 1 win – 0 seconds – 1 third
Career earnings: $48,740
Earnings per start: $16,247
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 90
Kentucky Derby points: 0
Pedigree: Quality Road – Kitty Wine, by Lemon Drop Kid
Color: Bay
Running style: Stalker/press the pace
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Armagnac was part of a group of horses recently transferred from Bob Baffert to Tim Yakteen, along with fellow Santa Anita Derby entrants Messier and Taiba. Owned largely by the same group that races Messier, Armagnac impressed in his second career start Jan. 21 at Santa Anita Park when rolling to a front-running 2 ¼-length win in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight race. Tested next in the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes, Armagnac tired badly and finished sixth, beaten by 27 ¼ lengths by winner Forbidden Kingdom. In that race, Forbidden Kingdom was allowed to set an uncontested pace and dominated. It will be interesting to see if Armagnac goes back to the pacesetting tactics employed in his maiden win, which might not only give the Quality Road colt his best chance to succeed but also help stablemates Taiba and Messier by applying some extra early pressure on Forbidden Kingdom.
Armagnac would need to improve significantly to have a chance to win the Santa Anita Derby, but he could play a big role in determining how fast the pace is early and could round out the trifecta or superfecta at a big price. SF Racing, which is part of Messier’s large ownership group, was the co-owner of 2018 Santa Anita Derby winner Justify, who went on to sweep the Triple Crown.
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3. Forbidden Kingdom (6-5)
Jockey: Juan Hernandez
Trainer: Richard Mandella
Owners: MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm
Career record: 5 starts – 3 wins – 1 second – 1 third
Career earnings: $434,000
Earnings per start: $86,800
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 106
Kentucky Derby points: 50
Pedigree: American Pharoah – Just Louise, by Five Star Day
Color: Chestnut
Running style: Pacesetter
Notable achievements and interesting facts: After showing promise as a 2-year-old, including a runner-up finish to fellow Santa Anita Derby entrant Messier in the Grade 3 Bob Hope Stakes, Forbidden Kingdom has been dominant in 2022 with a pair of convincing wins in Grade 2 races for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella. He led every step of the way in winning the seven-furlong San Vicente Stakes by 2 ¼ lengths and in a 5 ¾-length romp in the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe Stakes. Speed is Forbidden Kingdom’s best asset and he puts it to use as soon as the starting gates open. Having earned 106 and 102 Equibase Speed Figures for his two starts this year and a 94 and 98 Beyer Speed Figure for the San Vicente and San Felipe, respectively, Forbidden Kingdom is one of the fastest 3-year-olds on the Kentucky Derby trail along with the aforementioned Messier and Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby winner Epicenter. The Santa Anita Derby could come down to tactics. If Forbidden Kingdom is permitted to race all alone in front, he’s proved extremely formidable and figures to be difficult to catch. If he faces pressure early, some of the stamina concerns based upon his pedigree – his dam (mother) Just Louise, by Five Star Day, was a graded stakes-winning sprinter – could come into play. Forbidden Kingdom and Messier figure to vie for favoritism and it will be a surprise if one of the two does not find his way to the winner’s circle.
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4. Messier (Even-money)
Jockey: John Velazquez
Trainer: Tim Yakteen
Career record: 5 starts – 3 wins – 2 seconds – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $285,600
Earnings per start: $57,120
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 107
Kentucky Derby points: 0
Pedigree: Empire Maker - Checkered Past, by Smart Strike
Color: Bay
Running style: Press the pace
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Messier is named after six-time National Hockey League champion and Hall of Famer Mark Messier. The Empire Maker colt won the Robert B. Lewis Stakes by 15 lengths on Feb. 6 at Santa Anita Park to solidify his credentials as one of the most talented 3-year-olds in the U.S. He did not, however, earn any points toward qualifying for the first jewel of the Triple Crown because his trainer at the time, Bob Baffert, is ineligible to participate in the 2022 Kentucky Derby. Since then, Messier has been transferred to trainer Tim Yakteen to prepare for a Kentucky Derby bid, and on paper he looks like one of the top prospects on the Triple Crown trail. Never worse than second in five starts with three wins and two graded stakes victories, Messier always shows up on raceday. The 107 Equibase Speed Figure and 103 Beyer Speed Figure he earned for winning the Robert B. Lewis both are tops in the division and he defeated his main Santa Anita Derby rival, Forbidden Kingdom, by 3 ½ lengths last November in the seven-furlong Bob Hope Stakes. The Santa Anita Derby is 1 1/8 miles and Forbidden Kingdom has improved since that matchup, but Messier is bred to excel at longer distances and should move on to the Kentucky Derby with a top-two finish. SF Racing, which is part of Messier’s large ownership group, was the co-owner of 2018 Santa Anita Derby winner Justify, who went on to sweep the Triple Crown.
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5. Win the Day (20-1)
Jockey: Umberto Rispoli
Trainer: Doug O'Neill
Owner: Boat Racing, Fritz Brothers Racing, and William Strauss
Career record: 3 starts – 1 win – 1 second – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $54,100
Earnings per start: $18,033
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 93
Kentucky Derby points: 0
Pedigree: Midshipman – Sunrise Bay, by Jazil
Color: Dark bay or brown
Running style: Stalker/closer
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Win the Day started out his career on the grass and held his own with a second-place finish in his debut before he lost by three lengths in his second start when seventh. He broke through in his third start when switched to the dirt main track at Santa Anita, where he powered to a 5 ½-length runaway win in a one-mile maiden race March 6. That race showed the Midshipman gelding has some potential as he earned a career-top 93 Equibase Speed Figure with the surface change from turf to dirt. Jumping from a maiden race to the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby is a tall order for Win the Day, who would need to take a significant step forward to be a win contender and secure a top-two finish to qualify for the Kentucky Derby. Two of his three co-owners, Boat Racing and William Strauss, are part of the ownership group that races Grade 1 winner Hot Rod Charlie, the runner-up in last year’s Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets. Trainer Doug O’Neill won the Santa Anita Derby in 2012 with I’ll Have Another and in 2013 with Goldencents; jockey Umberto Rispoli won last year’s edition aboard Rock Your World.
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6. Taiba (4-1)
Jockey: Mike Smith
Trainer: Tim Yakteen
Owner: Zedan Racing Stables
Career record: 1 start – 1 win – 0 seconds – 0 thirds
Career earnings: $40,200
Earnings per start: $40,200
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 102
Kentucky Derby points: 0
Pedigree: Gun Runner – Needmore Flattery, by Flatter
Color: Chestnut
Running style: Press the pace
Notable achievements and interesting facts: Taiba, who made the move along with Armagnac and Messier from Bob Baffert’s barn to trainer Tim Yakteen, looks like the wild card in the field with the talent to upset morning-line favorite Messier and 6-5 second choice Forbidden Kingdom. A $1.7 million purchase at auction as a 2-year-old in training, the Gun Runner colt absolutely sizzled in his career debut March 5 at Santa Anita Park, where he surged away to a 7 ½-length score in a three-quarter-mile sprint. Taiba earned a 102 Equibase Speed Figure and his 103 Beyer Speed Figure is tied with Messier for the fastest by a 3-year-old in 2022. Likewise, the 7 he earned on the Ragozin Sheets indicates this is a serious racehorse and he’s bred to love more distance — from the first crop of 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner out of Needmore Flattery, a 14-time stakes winner at distances up to 1 1/8 miles. That said, the jump from a debut sprint race for non-winners all the way to a Grade 1 race that serves as one of the most important steppingstones to the Kentucky Derby is a massive test of class. On paper, Taiba looks like he has the talent to be a major factor in the outcome of the Santa Anita Derby as well as the shape of the race because of his early speed. How the pace develops considering that both favorites, Armagnac, and Taiba are all dangerous when in front could be the determining factor in the Santa Anita Derby. Taiba’s owner Zedan Racing Stables finished second with Medina Spirit in last year’s edition of the Santa Anita Derby. Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith is seeking his fifth win in the race after piloting Tiago (2007), Justify (2018), Roadster (2019), and Honor A. P. (2020) to victories.
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