The $750,000 Santa Anita Derby (G1) is one of the featured horse races of the winter meet at Santa Anita! The focal point of a stakes-laden card on Saturday, April 9, the one and one-eighth mile dirt race perennially draws several top Kentucky Derby contenders. It is always one of the most important preps for the Run for the Roses.
The horse race offers its top four finishers 100-40-20-10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. It means the winner will have enough points for a spot in the starting gate, and even the second-place finisher has virtually assured a place.
Who will win this prestigious race in 2022? Keep reading to find out!
| Horses |  |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Messier |
+100 | +100 | +100 |
|
Forbidden Kingdom |
+120 | +120 | +120 |
|
Taiba |
+400 | +400 | +400 |
|
Armagnac |
+2000 | +2000 | +2000 |
|
Happy Jack |
+2000 | +2000 | +2000 |
|
Win the Day |
+2000 | +2000 | +2000 |
Though we all want to head across the country and watch the race live in California, not all of us can. Fortunately, you can still be a part of it by betting on the race online! You have great options for betting the race online in Florida, including sites that will give you benefits you don’t get at OTBs or the racetrack. Those include rebates, deposit bonuses, and sign-up incentives.
It is also more convenient because you don’t have to go anywhere: you can wager anywhere with an internet connection! Let our experts help you find the racebook with the best bonuses for how you like to bet. And then, get ready to make the most of the great odds, bonuses, and rebates!
These are the best wagering sites for Florida-based horseplayers:
With your online betting account set up, it is time to check out the field and pick the winner of the Santa Anita Derby. Read on for the best expert analysis, to help you cash tickets on race day!
This is the official field for the 2022 Santa Anita Derby, including draw numbers, trainers, jockeys, and morning lines:
As the race draws closer, it pays to track the odds on each horse. If you see odds that pay better than what you think the horse’s actual chances to win, that is the right time to place your bet. Since online sportsbooks give you fixed-odds betting, you can lock in that overlay as soon as you see it and watch the race, confident that you have the best odds.
Six horses have been drawn into the Santa Anita Derby, and it is an extremely stratified field. The field contains a pair of likely co-favorites in Forbidden Kingdom and Messier, a promising up-and-comer in Taiba, and three long shots.2022 Santa Anita Derby Favorites
Though Messier beat Forbidden Kingdom soundly in the Bob Hope (G3) last year, Forbidden Kingdom has improved strongly since then and he should be able to turn the tables. Forbidden Kingdom was impressive on March 5 in the San Felipe (G2), his first try at two turns. He cleared off well and floated home to win by almost half a dozen lengths.
The biggest question about Forbidden Kingdom is that he has yet to prove he can win if he does not make the lead. But, speed is good at Santa Anita, especially on big days. And, though Armagnac (owned by the same connections as Messier) also shows speed and may be entered as a rabbit, he could not go with Forbidden Kingdom early in the San Felipe and would have to improve a lot to do so here.
Messier will likely be the co-favorite, and he will try to run on late. His best chance will come if anyone is able to go with Forbidden Kingdom and make him work too hard early. But, with Armagnac probably too slow early, there is a good chance that is not going to happen.
Taiba could get a better trip than Messier, as he was forward last out in a sprint maiden on the San Felipe undercard and should be forward again over this longer trip. But, he cedes a lot of experience to the rest of the field and will have to go fast early and stay two turns against proven graded stakes horses in only the second start of his career.
Happy Jack, Win the Day, and Armagnac round out the field, and all should be extremely long prices. All will have to take a significant step forward to make an impact in the Santa Anita Derby.
The most interesting among these price horses is Win the Day for Doug O’Neill. Though he faces winners for the first time, it is positive that he tried dirt for the first time last out and broke his maiden convincingly, after two merely decent underneath finishes on the lawn.
He will have to take another step forward to compete in the Santa Anita Derby, but his connections are familiar with winning in big spots and it would be no surprise to see Win the Day chasing on with enough interest to capture a share of the purse late.
You have your betting account set up, and you have gotten to know the field. All that’s left is to place your bets! These are the best bets for Saturday’s 2022 Santa Anita Derby:
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