One Lucky Dane to Take on Dortmund in SA Derby

One Lucky Dane, winner of his two starts at Santa Anita by a combined margin of

nearly 20 lengths, including a 9 ¾-length score at one mile last Thursday, will join unbeaten stablemate Dortmund in the Grade I, $1 million Santa Anita Derby next Saturday, April 4, Bob Baffert said Friday morning.

“He likes this track and he runs well here,” Baffert said of One Lucky Dane, a bay colt by Looking At Lucky owned by Michael Lund Petersen of Reisterstown, Md. One Lucky Dane broke his maiden at Santa Anita by 9 ½ lengths last Oct. 4, also at one mile.

Baffert had mentioned the Coolmore Lexington at Keeneland on April 11 as a possibility for One Lucky Dane, but said Friday “it would be too soon to ship out, and if he runs well here, it gives us time to recuperate.”

The Kentucky Derby, which Baffert has won three times but not since 2002 with War Emblem, will be run this year on May 2. The 62-year-old Hall of Fame trainer already has the two favorites for the Run for the Roses in American Pharoah and Dortmund.

Probable for the Santa Anita Derby: Dortmund, Martin Garcia; Prospect Park, Kent Desormeaux; Bolo, Mike Smith; One Lucky Dane, Rafael Bejarano; Cross the Line, no rider; and Bad Read Sanchez, Mario Gutierrez.

HELM MAKES DIRT DEBUT IN TOKYO CITY CUP

Drayden Van Dyke is looking forward to the second time around when he pilots Helm in Saturday’s Grade III, $100,000 Tokyo City Cup at 1 ½ miles on dirt.

The Eclipse Award-winning apprentice jockey of 2014 was fifth aboard the son of Henrythenavigator on his only previous ride, Feb. 27 at 1 ¼ miles on turf. The Tokyo City would mark Helm’s first race on dirt, his 14 previous starts coming on grass or synthetics.

“I got a really good trip in that race,” Van Dyke said of the Feb. 27 outing, in which he was beaten just under four lengths. “I talked to Graham (trainer Graham Motion) after the race and he said I could have been a little more patient . . . I might have let him move a bit too soon.

“But this is his first time on dirt, so maybe he likes it. We’ll see.”

The field for the Tokyo City Cup, race eight of nine: Helm, Drayden Van Dyke, 8-1; Decisive Edge, Alex Solis, 6-1; Bronzo, Gary Stevens, 7-5; Arlington House, Tyler Baze, 6-1; Bailoutbobby, Elvis Trujillo, 6-1; and Sky Kingdom, Martin Garcia, 9-5.

Rousing Sermon and Image of Joplin were scratched.

Santa Anita Park has announced it will host its second annual Santa Anita Derby Millionaire Contest, beginning Santa Anita Derby Day, Saturday, April 4. Fans attending that day are encouraged to enter, and if their name is selected, Santa Anita will provide a $1,000 win wager on a horse in the Santa Anita Derby. The track will provide $1,000 win bets on each horse in the race and all contestants will watch the Derby from Santa Anita Winner’s Circle.

Whichever horse wins, the contestant keeps all the money, including the $1,000 wager and the contestant will be assigned the Santa Anita Derby winner for the Kentucky Derby. If that horse goes on to win racing’s Triple Crown by sweeping the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes, that lucky fan would win a $1 million jackpot.

“We came very close to having a million dollar winner last year,” said Santa Anita Vice President, Marketing, Nate Newby. “Eddie Espinoza and his wife, Susan, selected California Chrome to win the Santa Anita Derby, which he did and then he obviously came very close to becoming the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.

“This contest generated tremendous excitement last year and we’re hoping it will again this year. We’ve got some outstanding horses that are pointing to our Derby and we have to be encouraged by the fact two out of the last three winners of the Santa Anita Derby went on to win the first two legs of the Triple Crown. It’s going to be a lot of fun and we encourage everyone to come early on April 4 and make sure they submit their entries before 2 p.m.”

In addition to the $1,000 win wager April 4, Santa Anita will also provide a $7,500 win wager in the Kentucky Derby May 2 and if it wins, a $10,000 win wager in the Preakness Stakes May 16. If the horse wins both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, as California Chrome did last year, the contestant would be in line for a $1 million jackpot with a win in the Belmont Stakes, to be run June 6.

Santa Anita Derby Millionaire Contest participants must be present to win on April 4 and must be 18 years of age or older. Please visit santaanita.com for details.