Grade 1 winner Brant returns in the San Felipe Stakes, a key Kentucky Derby prep race at Santa Anita Park. Unbeaten So Happy faces his first two-turn test in the Grade 2 event for 3-year-olds over 1 1/16 miles. The race offers qualifying points toward the Kentucky Derby.
The San Felipe Stakes (G2), scheduled for Saturday at Santa Anita Park, features a field of seven 3-year-old horses vying for 50-25-15-10-5 qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby. Trained by Bob Baffert, Brant enters off a third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on October 31 at Del Mar, where he raced 1 1/16 miles for the first time. That marked his initial defeat after wins in his debut at 5 1/2 furlongs in August and the Del Mar Futurity (G1) at seven furlongs in September. A son of Gun Runner, Brant was bought for $3 million at the 2023 OBS March sale of 2-year-olds in training and is owned by Zedan Racing Stable. Florent Geroux will ride him for the first time.
So Happy, trained by Mark Glatt, remains unbeaten in two starts. He won his debut at 6 1/2 furlongs in November at Del Mar and followed with a victory in the San Vicente (G2) at seven furlongs on January 10 at Santa Anita. By Runhappy out of So Cunning, a daughter of Blame, So Happy was purchased for $150,000 at the 2023 OBS March sale. Owned by Norman Stables and Saints or Sinners, he will have Mike Smith aboard again.
Other contenders include Secured Freedom, trained by Tim Yakteen, who finished third in the Robert B. Lewis (G3) at one mile after breaking his maiden at 6 1/2 furlongs on December 28 at Santa Anita. By Practical Joke, he was a $110,000 yearling purchase owned by Leslie A. Amestoy, Pierre Jean Amestoy Jr., and Roger K. Beasley. Baffert’s second entry, Potente, debuted with a neck victory at six furlongs on January 31 at Santa Anita. By Into Mischief, the $2.4 million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale buy is owned by Speedway Stable and ridden by Juan Hernandez.
