Santa Anita Derby Preview & Picks
Last year’s champion, Citizen Bull, and Journalism––widely considered the early favorite for this year’s Kentucky Derby––will meet for the first time Saturday in the 88th running of the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby. With only five horses entered, the race had its Kentucky Derby 2025 qualifying points reduced by 25% on Monday.
Drawing the rail post, Journalism was made the 6-5 morning-line favorite and Citizen Bull in post 2 will be 9-5 in the program.
Citizen Bull, trainer Bob Baffert’s Eclipse Award winner, has already clinched his invitation to Churchill Downs. History dictates Journalism, and from Michael McCarthy’s barn, it already has the points to get there as well.
Barnes, though, is another matter. Baffert’s $3.2 million colt would clinch a Kentucky Derby bid with a win on Saturday. A second-place finish––with the current field––would likely do the trick as well. If there is even one scratch, however, then the points will be reduced again and a runner-up finish might not be enough to make it to Kentucky.
My Selection:
Win – Journalism
Wood Memorial Preview & Picks
The Wood is the last of six stops on the New York road to the Kentucky Derby 2025, and 100-50-25-15-10 qualifying points are available to the top five finishers.
The race has had 11 winners go on to capture victory in the Kentucky Derby, four of whom completed the Triple Crown (Gallant Fox 1930, Count Fleet 1943, Assault 1946, and Seattle Slew 1977.) Secretariat finished a beaten third in the 1973 Wood, before commencing his record-shattering Triple Crown run.
The 2025 field includes seven 3-year-olds who already have been participating on the Kentucky Derby trail. Rodriguez ran his Derby preps at Santa Anita, where he finished second in the Robert B. Lewis (G3) and third in the San Felipe (G2). Captain Cook won the Withers (G3) at this distance and will be the favorite here. Sand Devil had the lead in the Gotham (G3) but ended up finishing second and now tries two turns for the first time. Another contender, Hill Road, ran third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) and the Tampa Bay Derby (G3). Passion Rules is 3-for-3, getting progressively better and working lights out.
My Selections:
Win & Place – Passion Rules
Exacta Box – Passion Rules, Captain Cook, Hill Road & Grande
Blue Grass Stakes Preview & Picks
This race will now be contested on Monday, April 7th, due to inclement weather expected at Keeneland over the weekend. The Blue Grass at Keeneland has produced 19 winners that have gone on to win the Kentucky Derby. The most recent Blue Grass runner to win the Run for the Roses was Street Sense in 2007. Other winners of the race include Alydar, Holy Bull, Skip Away and Harlan’s Holiday.
River Thames, who finished second in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park in early March, is the 5-2 morning-line favorite from the seven-horse field.
Other horses to know:
- East Avenue, runaway winner last fall at Keeneland in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity.
- Chancer McPatrick, two-time Grade 1 winner
- Burnham Square, won the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park and also went off the favorite in the Fountain of Youth about a month ago and didn’t get the best of trips. He ran 4th that day and was beaten by Sovereignty, one of the early Kentucky Derby choices. His speed pattern entering this race compels me to lean his way.
My Selections:
Win & Place – Burnham Square
Exacta Key – Burnham Square with Chancer McPatrick, Owen Almighty & East Avenue and reverse with those three on top and Burnham Square in the second position.
Santa Anita Oaks Preview & Picks
Grade 1 winner Tenma and Vodka With a Twist, runner-up in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, are among the key principles in Saturday’s Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks.
Tenma has won four of five starts including three graded stakes for trainer Bob Baffert. For Vodka With a Twist, this will be her first start since finishing second behind Immersive in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
My Selections:
Win & Place – Tenma
Gazelle Stakes Preview & Picks
None of the eight 3-year-old fillies entered in the $200,000 Gazelle Stakes (G3) are currently among the top 14 in the battle for spots in the Kentucky Oaks (G1). That will all change once the field crosses the finish line on Saturday with 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points available.
Ballerina d’Oro has performed well over the track at Saturday’s distance and has run in the money twice in Graded company (second in the Demoiselle Stakes (G2) and third in the Davona Dale Stakes (G2)).
Vanilla Sundae comes off an impressive maiden victory back in February––winning by more than 15 lengths. If Pure Beauty can moderately improve off the third-place finish in her last, she has an honest shot.
My Selection:
Win & Place – Pure Beauty
Ashland Stakes Preview & Picks
This race has also moved to Monday, April 7th due to the unpleasant weather at Keeneland and offers 100-50-25-15-10 points to the top-5 finishers.
La Cara is currently seventh on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard and has three wins and a second in her last five starts.
Supa Speed, beaten by just a nose on her first try on Dirt, enters here looking for a good trip from Post Position #3.
Runners in this race exiting the Honeybee:
- Muhimma, who ran 3rd as a 4-5 favorite, looks to bounce back.
- Take Charge Milady, caught a tough trip from the rail and finished 10th.
My Selections:
Win & Place – Supa Speed
Exacta Box – Supa Speed, Muhimma, Running Away & Take Charge MiLady
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Johnny Avello is an employee of DraftKings. Personal views on the races and strategies above do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in selecting their horses to wager upon. DraftKings employees may also deploy different strategies than what is recommended above. DraftKings employees do not have access to any non-public information.
