If you enjoy betting horse races, there is no more exciting event on Saturday, April 8 than the Santa Anita Derby! The 1 ⅛-mile dirt race, open to three-year-olds, is the final race on the Southern California spur of the Kentucky Derby trail. The spoils are rich: a $750,000 purse and 100-40-30-20-10 Road to the Kentucky Derby points for the top five finishers!
This means the Santa Anita Derby has a major effect on the Run for the Roses: the winner is guaranteed a spot, the second-place finisher almost certainly makes the field as well, and even lower finishers often make the race if they did well in other preps.
Furthermore, the Santa Anita Derby has an excellent history as a live Kentucky Derby prep. Triple Crown winners like Justify (2018) and Affirmed (1978) prepared in this race, as have eight other winners of the Run for the Roses including California Chrome (2014) and I’ll Have Another (2012).
Who will join this illustrious list in 2023? Keep reading to find out, and to see the best places to bet the Santa Anita Derby online!
As much as we all would love to enjoy the Santa Anita Derby in person, not all of us can. Fortunately, you can have the best betting experience from your smartphone, tablet, or computer thanks to online sportsbooks! You have a lot of options, but our online sportsbook reviews help you sort through your options quickly and find the place that will give you the best profits.
Every sportsbook we recommend has the basics: trusted deposits and cash-outs, real Vegas odds, and a smooth user interface. However, their bonuses differ: all of them are lucrative, but different ones are better for different betting styles. So, take a few minutes now to find the best betting bonuses for your favorite wagers and stakes. And, get ready to build your bankroll with cash or free bets!
These are the best places to bet the Santa Anita Derby online:
This is the field for the 2023 Santa Anita Derby including trainers, jockeys, post positions, and morning lines:
The morning line is just an estimate of post-time odds. Keep in mind that if you bet at the track, you are not guaranteed those morning-line odds. On track, odds are based on actual bets on each horse and they fluctuate all the way until post time.
Maximize your profits by playing horse races online at a trusted sportsbook. Between the bonuses and the ability to lock in your price the moment you bet, you can cash in more by betting online than you can at the track.
With your betting account set up, it is time to meet the contenders for the 2023 Santa Anita Derby:
The likely favorite for the Santa Anita Derby is Practical Move. He has found his way in his last couple of starts, since stretching out past a mile. He won the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) two starts back, and then started his sophomore year with a score in the San Felipe (G2). With tactical speed, consistency, and stamina, this Tim Yakteen trainee has risen to the top of the west-coast set.
Though Geaux Rocket Ride has tables to turn on the chalk after finishing second behind him in the San Felipe, there are reasons he can do so at a bit better price. The San Felipe was only Geaux Rocket Ride’s second-ever start and first at a route, and trainer Richard Mandella can move horses forward when trying those things again. High-percentage rider Flavien Prat can use his tactical speed to good effect.
National Treasure, as always, belongs in the exotics. Though he has yet to win a Kentucky Derby prep race, he has finished in the money in three prep races in a row. Though it’s a concern that he missed a start in the San Felipe after a sore foot, he returned to the worktab quickly and has a good chance to chase around for another minor award in this race.
Given Skinner’s tendency to start slowly, it makes more sense from a value perspective to look elsewhere for other exotic horses. Mandarin Hero ships out from Japan. He may get ignored because he has raced in the second-level NAR circuit and not the top-level JRA, but NRA horses like Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Marche Lorraine have also had some international success. A tracking type, he could find a good effort trying 1 ⅛ miles for the second time.
Low Expectations also has a claim on an underneath share. He chased a torrid pace in the Sunland Park Derby (G3) last out, and won’t have to follow something quite as hot this time. Making his second start at 1 ⅛ miles, he only needs a reasonable step forward to invade the exotics at a price.
With your handicapping done and your betting account created, it is time for the best part: placing your bets in the Santa Anita Derby! These are the expert-recommended bets for the race:
About the Author
For a decade, Rowan Ward has been making horse race predictions and wagers in Chicago, and has been writing about horse racing for nearly just as long. Understanding the various factors that influence a race's outcome, they often find that the age-old saying "the pace makes the race" can uncover worthwhile betting opportunities. When it comes to handicapping, their favorite races are those held locally in Chicago, major stake races across the country, and two-year-old maiden races with intriguing bloodlines.
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