Messier, Forbidden Kingdom Vie in Santa Anita Derby

Messier  and Forbidden Kingdom , the leading 3-year-olds in California, are slated to meet for the first time this year in the $750,000 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (G1) April 9. Though they are the headliners, it won't be a match race, as the 1 1/8-mile event drew four others, including Taiba , a $1.7 million 2-year-old who made an impressive racing debut at Santa Anita Park March 5.

On many analysts' list of top prospects for the May 7 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1), Messier and Forbidden Kingdom rank highly. Messier defeated Forbidden Kingdom the only time they met, in the Nov. 14 Bob Hope Stakes (G3) at Del Mar, but Forbidden Kingdom stumbled at the start that day. Messier and Forbidden Kingdom both have progressed considerably since then.

Jon White, Santa Anita's morning linemaker, has made Messier the even-money favorite, with Forbidden Kingdom the 6-5 second choice. Since the Bob Hope, Messier finished second to Slow Down Andy  in the Dec. 11 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) and then blew away four rivals in the Feb. 6 Robert B. Lewis Stakes (G3), winning by 15 lengths. Forbidden Kingdom, meanwhile, won back-to-back Santa Anita stakes—the Jan. 29 San Vicente Stakes (G2) by 2 1/4 lengths and the March 5 San Felipe Stakes (G2) by 5 3/4 lengths.

Tim Yakteen now trains Messier and Taiba, as well as Armagnac , also entered in the Santa Anita Derby. Bob Baffert, who previously trained all three, is currently serving a 90-day suspension stemming from Medina Spirit 's positive after finishing first in last year's Kentucky Derby. 

Per an announcement by Churchill Downs last year, no horses in Baffert's care are eligible to earn points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Thus, Messier did not receive points in the Los Alamitos Futurity or Lewis. Armagnac finished sixth in the San Felipe and would not have earned points in that race. The Santa Anita Derby will be Taiba's stakes debut and offers 100-40-20-10 points for the first four finishers.

John Velazquez, aboard Messier in the Lewis, has been named to ride the son of Empire Maker  from post 4. The colt worked 1:11 2/5 March 27 under Velazquez and five furlongs in 1:00 3/5 April 2 under jockey Drayden Van Dyke for Yakteen.

"Messier's coming into the race absolutely super," Yakteen said April 6. "We had a nice, strong drill on Sunday the 27th, and we've come back on the 2nd with just a nice, handy five-eighths drill. He's been straightforward, and it's set us up really well for the race."

Large partnerships that vary slightly own Messier and Armagnac, with SF Racing, Starlight Racing, and Madaket Stables the principals in both.

"Armagnac had a dynamite drill on April 1 (six furlongs in 1:11 4/5), which led us to us entering in the Derby this weekend," said Yakteen. "He's been doing great."

Van Dyke is slated to ride Armagnac, a son of Quality Road   and 20-1 on the morning line, from post 2.

Zedan Racing Stables, which owned Medina Spirit, also owns Taiba, listed at 4-1 on the morning line. Gary Young purchased Taiba at the 2021 Gulfstream Sale, Fasig-Tipton's 2-year-old select sale in Florida. The son of Gun Runner   brought the sale's second-highest price and won his March 5 six-furlong debut by 7 1/2 lengths. Velazquez rode Taiba that day, and Mike Smith takes over in the Derby from post 6.

"Obviously, Taiba was very impressive in his debut," said Yakteen. "He has been training very forwardly. He breezed three-eighths (April 6 in :37 under exercise rider Baltazar Contreras), and it gave him his final little prep for the weekend. It's going to be a bit of an ask to go from a maiden three-quarters to a mile and an eighth in a grade 1 race. But he has impressed very much in the morning."

Juan Hernandez has ridden Forbidden Kingdom throughout his career for trainer Richard Mandella and will be back up from post 3. MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm own the colt, a son of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah  . 

Forbidden Kingdom set the pace early in each of his five previous starts. He sped the first quarter-mile in :21.86 in the seven-furlong San Vicente, finishing in 1:22.75. He led throughout the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe, with a :22.66 first quarter, a :45.90 half-mile, and a final time of 1:43.98.

Forbidden Kingdom worked three furlongs in :37 April 6.

Happy Jack  and Win the Day , both trained by Doug O'Neill, round out the Derby field. Calumet Farm owns and bred Happy Jack, a son of Oxbow   who finished third in the San Felipe. Boat Racing, Fritz Brothers Racing, and William Strauss own Win the Day, a son of Midshipman   who broke his maiden by 5 1/2 lengths March 6 in his third start.

"Happy Jack is doing really well," said O'Neill. "Win the Day had a nice maiden win going two turns on the main track here, so we're hoping he moves forward a little bit. He's got a big chance. Obviously, it's going to be a tough race, but we've got two live ones."

O'Neill named Abel Cedillo on Happy Jack (post 1) and Umberto Rispoli on Win the Day (post 5).

Entries: RUNHAPPY Santa Anita Derby (G1)

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, April 09, 2022, Race 6

• Grade I
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $750,000
• 3 yo
• 2:30 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	Happy Jack (KY)	Abel Cedillo	124	Doug F. O'Neill	20/1
2	Armagnac (KY)	Drayden Van Dyke	124	Tim Yakteen	20/1
3	Forbidden Kingdom (KY)	Juan J. Hernandez	124	Richard E. Mandella	6/5
4	Messier (ON)	John R. Velazquez	124	Tim Yakteen	1/1
5	Win the Day (KY)	UMBERTO RISPOLI	124	Doug F. O'Neill	20/1
6	Taiba (KY)	Mike E. Smith	124	Tim Yakteen	4/1