Practical Move, Mandarin Hero Vie in SA Derby

Not only is the Santa Anita Derby (G1) one of the most successful preps for the Kentucky Derby (G1), this year's running April 8 has a unique first. Mandarin Hero  has traveled halfway around the world and is slated to become the first horse from Japan to compete in the Santa Anita Derby.

With Japanese-bred horses faring well in races all over the globe, Mandarin Hero rates a serious look. However, he must face eight others in the $750,000 Derby that include top-notch California Triple Crown hopefuls as well as a couple coming out of the Sunland Park Derby (G3).

The Santa Anita Derby, with its 100 qualifying points to the winner, offers virtually a guaranteed spot in the Kentucky Derby. The second-, third-, fourth-, and fifth-place runners will earn 40, 30, 20, and 10 points.

It's not just Santa Anita Derby winners who fare well at Churchill Downs. In the past 50 years, 14 horses came out of the Santa Anita Derby and captured the Kentucky Derby. 

Six of them won both events: Affirmed, Winning Colors, Sunday Silence, I'll Have Another , California Chrome  , and Justify  . Four who finished first in the Kentucky Derby ran second in the Santa Anita Derby: Silver Charm, Real Quiet, Authentic  , and Medina Spirit  (the latter subsequently disqualified for a positive test). Ferdinand ran third at Santa Anita and won the Run for the Roses, while Gato Del Sol, Charismatic, and Giacomo  finished fourth at Santa Anita before winning the Kentucky Derby.

Trainer Tim Yakteen holds the strongest hand in the 1 1/8-mile Santa Anita Derby. He has trained San Felipe Stakes (G2) winner Practical Move  throughout that colt's career and now also conditions National Treasure , a multiple graded stakes-placed runner previously trained by Bob Baffert.

Practical Move, the 8-5 morning line favorite, has beaten horses trained by Baffert or previously trained by the Hall of Famer in his last two races, both stakes wins. In the Dec. 17 Los Alamitos Futurity (G2), Practical Move defeated Baffert trainees Carmel Road , Fort Bragg , and Arabian Lion . In the March 4 San Felipe, former Baffert runners Hejazi , Fort Bragg, and Mr Fisk  trailed Practical Move, as did Geaux Rocket Ride  and Skinner , two taking him on again in the Santa Anita Derby.

"We're proud of him—he's a phenomenally gifted horse," Yakteen said after the San Felipe.

Pierre Jean and Leslie Amestoy, who are based in Albuquerque, N.M., and own Practical Move with Roger Beasley, have had much success racing Quarter Horses. They selected Practical Move at the 2022 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company April 2-year-old sale for $230,000.

"I take my hat off to Pierre and Leslie," said Yakteen. "They went down to Florida. They bought him themselves. They've got a great eye for a horse."

Leslie said that Practical Move "was at the top of our list" at the sale, and Pierre recalled going beyond their budget.

"We had him pegged at about $170,000," he said. "We got to about $180,000, $190,000, and Leslie walked away. I stayed there—I'm not going to walk away from one that I want."

National Treasure was supposed to have run against Practical Move in the San Felipe, but he developed a minor foot issue and missed the race. Since breaking his maiden in his first start, National Treasure ran second in the American Pharoah Stakes (G1), third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1), and third in the Sham Stakes (G3).

Ramon Vazquez, who has ridden Practical Move in both of his stakes victories, will be back aboard from post 5. Vazquez piloted National Treasure in the American Pharoah, but John Velazquez has ridden that colt in his other three starts and will be up again from post 6.

Mandarin Hero has more victories than any horse in the Santa Anita Derby field, having won four of his five races, with one second. All of those starts came at Oi Racecourse, a regional public racecourse in Japan. He is by Eclipse Award-winning 2-year-old male Shanghai Bobby  and will be ridden from post 8 by Kazushi Kimura, a native of Japan but based at Santa Anita this winter.

Geaux Rocket Ride has been scratched from the Santa Anita Derby after running a temperature.

Skinner returns to battle Practical Move. 

One in Vermillion  (Hector Berrios, post 4) and Low Expectations  (Umberto Rispoli, post 9) come into the Santa Anita Derby off of the Sunland Park Derby. One in Vermillion ran fifth after being fractious at the gate. Previously, he won three stakes—two at Turf Paradise and one at Sunland Park. Low Expectations, who has won two of six races in Southern California, ran second in the Sunland Park Derby at 21-1 to 35-1 longshot Wild On Ice , which resulted in a $548 exacta payoff on a $1 ticket.

Entries: RUNHAPPY Santa Anita Derby (G1)

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, April 08, 2023, Race 6

• Grade I
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $750,000
• 3 yo
• 2:43 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1I Don't Get It (KY)	Mario Gutierrez	124	Doug F. O'Neill	20/1
2	2Dazzlemesilver (FL)	Kent J. Desormeaux	124	J. Keith Desormeaux	50/1
3	3Geaux Rocket Ride (KY)	Flavien Prat	124	Richard E. Mandella	3/1
4	4One in Vermillion (CA)	Hector Isaac Berrios	124	J. Eric Kruljac	50/1
5	5Practical Move (KY)	Ramon A. Vazquez	124	Tim Yakteen	8/5
6	6National Treasure (KY)	John R. Velazquez	124	Tim Yakteen	3/1
7	7Skinner (KY)	Victor Espinoza	124	John A. Shirreffs	4/1
8	8Mandarin Hero (JPN)	Kazushi Kimura	124	Terunobu Fujita	8/1
9	9Low Expectations (KY)	Umberto Rispoli	124	Antonio C. Garcia	30/1