California's top Derby hopefuls take center stage in San Felipe

California-based 3-year-olds have won five of the last eight editions of the Kentucky Derby (G1), so you’re advised to pay close attention when some of the Golden State’s best sophomores face off in Saturday’s $400,000 San Felipe (G2) at Santa Anita.

The top four finishers will earn Road to the Kentucky Derby qualification points on a 50-20-10-5 basis, and the battle for the top prize figures to be intense. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has won the San Felipe half-dozen times and will be strongly represented Saturday with Authentic and Thousand Words, the two favorites on the morning line.

Both colts are undefeated and have already won significant prizes on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. The flashy Authentic claimed the Sham (G3) by 7 3/4 lengths over stablemate Azul Coast, who returned to win the El Camino Real Derby. The gritty Thousand Words skipped the Sham but demonstrated talent and tenacity when he forged to hard-fought victories in the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) and Robert B. Lewis (G3).

But despite their credentials, neither Authentic nor Thousand Words rank as the most accomplished runner in the San Felipe field. That honor belongs to Storm the Court, the champion 2-year-old male of 2019 and the winner of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) in gate-to-wire fashion.

Conditioned by Peter Eurton, Storm the Court finished fourth in the 7-furlong San Vicente (G2) to kick off 2020, but his performance was deceptively strong, as he came rallying from off the pace to finish just 2 1/4 lengths behind early Kentucky Derby favorite Nadal.

Honor A. P., an exciting maiden winner trained by John Shirreffs, adds further depth to the San Felipe field, with Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith in the saddle. Wrecking Crew, who finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, will also seek a breakthrough victory. He has hit the board four times against graded stakes company. Completing the field are Fort McHenry, a half-brother to 2014 San Felipe winner California Chrome, and Swagsational, the late-running winner of the Turf Paradise Derby.

Some of California’s top 3-year-old fillies will get a chance to shine Sunday in the $100,000 Santa Ysabel (G3), which will award 50 Road to the Kentucky Oaks qualification points to the winner. Seven fillies have been entered, though one — Donna Veloce — figures to attract most of the attention.

Trained by Simon Callaghan, Donna Veloce showed a ton of potential as a juvenile. She easily won her debut, then battled to close, runner-up efforts in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) and Starlet Stakes (G1). After three months off to rest and mature, Donna Veloce figures to come back tougher than ever in the Santa Ysabel.

Her key rivals in the 1 1/16-mile test include Las Virgenes (G2) runner-up Gingham and Santa Anita maiden winner Storie Blue, who are both trained by Baffert. They’ll be joined by the undefeated Jonathan Wong-trained filly Tiz Fake News, who has shipped in from Golden Gate Fields off a pair of decisive, frontrunning victories on Tapeta.

In addition to Donna Veloce, Callaghan will saddle Paige Anne, who defeated Storie Blue by a head Dec. 15 at Los Alamitos. She subsequently cruised to a six-length allowance victory at Golden Gate, which making her a logical contender to hit the board Sunday. Maiden sprint winners Gidgetta and Speech will stretch out around two turns for the first time and complete the field.