The Runaway Horse: Santa Anita Derby 2026

Wednesday, April 8, 2026

Kentucky Derby 2026 Report (4-6-26)

The Blue Grass, Santa Anita Derby, and Wood Memorial were the latest road to Kentucky Derby 2026 prep races and Further Ado, So Happy, and Albus punched their tickets to Louisville. In this report, I will recap the aforementioned three Derby preps, update the points standings, and share my exceptional eleven Derby contenders.

I cover all of the Kentucky Derby 2026 points races on my Runaway Horse video channel, and through 36 points races, my top choices have 13 wins, 4 runner-up finishes, and 6 show finishes. The road to the Derby series concludes with the Lexington Stakes (G3) at Keeneland on April 11.

Lexington field (race 10): 1 – Corona de Oro, 2 – Exhibition Only, 3 – Decisive Win, 4 – Enforced Agenda, 5 – Mister T, 6 – Ramblin, 7 – The Hell We Did, 8 – Trendsetter, 9 – Ezum, 10 – Confessional, 11 – I Did I Did

Kentucky Derby 2026 Points Race Recaps

Grade 1 Blue Grass at Keeneland (9f): Further Ado ($3.70) made short work of this crew as the strong favorite. He stalked while out in the clear, took over, and romped by 11 lengths (106 BSF). Ottinho rallied for the place and Talkin stalked the pace and was best of the rest in third. Creole Chrome (4th), Great White (5th), Reagan’s Honor (6th), and Moonstrocity (7th) also ran. Class President and Ocelli scratched. Irad Ortiz, Jr. rode the winner for Brad Cox. Fractions: 23.60, 47.71, 1:11.80, 1:36.63, 1:49.58.

Santa Anita Derby 2026 Picks (4-4-26)

The Road to the Kentucky Derby rolls through Santa Anita Park with the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, a $500,000 event for three-year-olds going 1 1/8 miles on the main track. This is one of the most important West Coast prep races, and I’ve been tracking all the Derby points races closely—producing 13 winners, along with multiple exacta and trifecta finishes along the way.

Using data from the Complete Digest, I’m breaking down this field from a pace, speed, and class perspective before giving you my contenders.

Meet the Field

#1 Cherokee Nation (Bob Baffert) – Dominant maiden winner last out
#2 Potente (Bob Baffert) – San Felipe Stakes winner, undefeated
#3 Vitruvian Man – Longshot facing a big class test
#4 Robusta – Strong runner-up effort in the San Felipe
#5 So Happy – Grade 2 winner trying to rebound
#6 Start the Ride – Appears overmatched
#7 Intrepido – Grade 1 winner as a juvenile, improving

Speed & Pace Breakdown

Key Today’s Racing Digest Metrics

Horse	Fire #	CPR	Fast Fig	Final Time Rating
Cherokee Nation	100	134	125	147
Potente	96	137	128	143
Robusta	100	133	128	143
So Happy	94	123	125	135

Fire Number highlights early and sustained speed, and Cherokee Nation and Robusta both top the field there. Meanwhile, Potente leads in CPR, signaling the most complete performance profile.

The Final Time Rating shows Cherokee Nation clearly on top with a 147—making him the fastest horse in the field based on recent performance.

Class & Form Analysis

Cherokee Nation is the wildcard. He struggled in prior stakes attempts but exploded last time out with a 10-length maiden win, earning elite pace and speed figures. That effort suggests major upside.

Potente is undefeated and already a graded stakes winner, while Robusta proved competitive at this level in the San Felipe.

Intrepido brings strong back class, including a Grade 1 win at two, and could improve second off the layoff after skipping the San Felipe to target this race.

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