Kentucky Derby prep: 8 are in field for Santa Anita Derby

Graded-stakes winners Imagination and Stronghold are set to clash for the first time Saturday in a field of eight entered Saturday for the 87th running of the Grade 1, $750,000 Santa Anita Derby, a 1 1/8-mile points prep for Kentucky Derby 2024.

Trained by Bob Baffert, Imagination exits a win in the San Felipe (G2) going 1 1/16 miles on March 3 at Santa Anita. The victory upped his record to 5: 2-3-0 with $256,800 in earnings for owners SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Bat Masterson, Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan and Tom Ryan.

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By Into Mischief, Imagination was purchased for $1.05 million at the 2022 Keeneland September yearling sale. He broke his maiden in his third start when going a mile Jan. 1 at Santa Anita. Prior scoring in the San Felipe, Imagination finished second by neck to well-regarded stablemate Maymun in a first-level allowance at a mile on Feb. 11 at Santa Anita.

Maymun, who had been considered probable for the Santa Anita Derby, was not entered. When asked about it, Baffert merely responded, “Switched (for) Wynstock.”

International star jockey Frankie Dettori, who rode Imagination for the first time in the San Felipe win, again has the call on Saturday.

Stronghold is exiting a breakthrough victory in the Sunland Derby (G3) in New Mexico on Feb. 18. Trained by Phil D’Amato, Stronghold attended the pace under Antonio Fresu and kicked clear late to score by 2 1/2 lengths at Sunland Park. The Ghostzapper colt looks to solidify a berth in next month's Kentucky Derby.

The Santa Anita Derby offers Kentucky Derby qualifying points to eligible horses who finish in the top five on a scale of 100-50-25-15-10. Baffert and his horses are not eligible. Stronghold has 25 points, which rank 21st on the Derby leaderboard with four additional prep races to be run these next two weekends . The Kentucky Derby is limited to 20 starters, and Stronghold would clinch his place with a top-two finish Saturday, although a third-place result probably would get him there.

Before his win in the Sunland Derby, Stronghold finished second in both the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) at 1 1/16 miles in December and the seven-furlong Bob Hope (G3) at Del Mar in November.

Stronghold again will have Fresu in the irons Saturday. A homebred for Eric Waller and Sharon Waller, he has a record of 5: 2-3-0 with $337,200 in earnings.

Tapalo returns to dirt after a second-place effort in the 1 1/8-mile El Camino Real Derby on synthetic at Golden Gate Fields on Feb. 10. The Tapiture colt finished 1 1/4 lengths behind Endlessly, who would return to win the Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) on synthetic at Turfway Park.

Trained by John Sadler, Tapalo graduated just before the El Camino Real in a $40,000 optional-claiming maiden race going seven furlongs on dirt at Santa Anita on Jan. 12. Tapalo, who was a $55,000 auction buy as a 2-year-old, was not entered for the optional-claiming price. He has a record of 5: 1-2-1 with $62,020 in earnings for owner Hronis Racing. Tapalo will be ridden Saturday by Umberto Rispoli for the first time.

Baffert’s other entrant is graded-stakes winner Wynstock. Campaigned by Dr. Ed Allred, owner of Los Alamitos, and longtime racing executive Jack Liebau, Wynstock won the Los Alamitos Futurity to close his 2-year-old campaign. In his only start this year the Solomini colt shipped to Oaklawn Park and finished last on a muddy track in the Southwest (G3) on Feb. 3.

Wynstock was purchased for $700,000 at auction as a 2-year-old. He has a record of 5: 2-0-0 with $182,740 in earnings. Santa Anita’s leading rider Juan Hernández will be reunited with Wynstock on Saturday.

E J Won the Cup for trainer Doug O’Neill is the only other stakes winner in the field. After taking seven starts to break his maiden, the Omaha Beach colt came right back to win the Turf Paradise Derby on March 14. He will be reunited Saturday with Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, who was aboard for the maiden win.

A $95,000 auction buy as a yearling, E J Won the Cup is owned by Superfecta King Stable, He is 8: 2-3-1 with $116,440 in earnings.

The Santa Anita Derby is race 10 of 12 on the Saturday card with a post time of about 7:45 p.m. EDT.