By Matt Shifman and Bob Ehalt

The $500,000 Santa Anita Derby (G1), 1 1/8 miles, Santa Anita

Race 10 – The Santa Anita Derby (G1) drew a field of only five 3-year-olds and that means that the Kentucky Derby qualifying points were reduced by 25% to 75-37.5-17.75-11.25-7.5 to the top five finishers. (1) Journalism comes to the Santa Anita Derby with three wins in a row in a maiden at Del Mar in November and then moved onto the Kentucky Derby trail in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) and the San Felipe (G2) at Santa Anita. The March victory was speedy and earned a 108 Beyer Speed Figure that tops the 3-year-old division. (2) Citizen Bull was named the champion 2-year-old after a pair of Grade 1 wins in the American Pharaoh and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He continued to get better in his only start in 2025 when he won the Robert B. Lewis (G3). (4) Barnes won his first two races in a maiden at Churchill Downs and then in the San Vicente (G2). He had the lead in the San Felipe before getting passed by Journalism. (5) Baeza was an impressive maiden winner in his third start going a mile at Santa Anita in February. Betting strategy:  Exacta box: 1, 2. Trifecta: 1 with 2 with 4, 5.