So Blissful, a son of champion sprinter Run Blissful, was not purported to make it the 1 1/8-mile distance of the Grade 1 $500,000 Santa Anita Derby, however he received by 2 3/4 lengths.
Distance was the largest query mark for So Blissful, who confronted the 6-5 favourite Potente, a $2.4 million yearling sale buy, on April 4 at Santa Anita Park. Potente was undefeated in two races from the Bob Baffert steady, together with a win over So Blissful within the G2 San Felipe Stakes offered by DK Horses.
Potente and San Felipe’s second place Robusta set the early tempo, with Potente clocking the primary quarter mile in 23.03 seconds. So Blissful, ridden by Mike Smith, completed third.
“He felt actually good immediately and able to race,” Smith stated.
The stalker-like place was excellent for So Blissful. He was capable of problem the leaders coming into the second flip. Robusta began backing as much as end final, however Potente caught so comfortable across the turns and struggled down the stretch.
Potente gamely battled So Blissful, however So Blissful “saved going immediately,” Smith stated. Within the sixteenth and remaining race, So Blissful pushed previous Potente and completed with a 2 3/4 size lead in 1 minute 49.01 seconds. Potente was the perfect of the remaining horses, coming house 6 3/4 lengths forward of longshot Vitruvian Man in third place.
“There’s undoubtedly extra within the tank,” Smith stated. “I’m trying ahead to going to Kentucky once more.”
With this win, So Blissful earned 100 qualifying factors for the Kentucky Derby, offered by Woodford Reserve. Kentucky Derby factors had been additionally awarded to second by fifth place within the Santa Anita Derby: 50-25-15-10.
The explanations for So Blissful’s success vary from the stallion’s bodily structure and fortitude to the superb coaching offered by Mark Glatt. Blissful can also be getting assist from Dena Glatt, spouse of Mark, who handed away all of a sudden on February twelfth on the age of 57.
So Blissful will run for Saint Or Sinners of Hans & Anna Maron Stables and Norman Secure of Robert Norman Stables. The Maron household has been a long-time buyer of Gratz’s and has change into good associates with Mark and Deena through the years.
“That is very emotional contemplating what Dena went by,” Anna Maron stated. “I have been saying this isn’t only for us anymore. It’s a must to take into consideration how a lot pleasure this may convey to the Glatt household.”
Mark Glatt, who often does his job in post-race interviews, spoke emotionally to Santa Anita’s Michelle Yu about what the win meant to him and the way the Maron household has supported him.
“We’ve got acquired an awesome quantity of assist to assist us get by this very troublesome time,” Glatt stated. “(Dina) introduced that horse right here immediately, and I am actually grateful to the homeowners for giving me this chance. They’ve contributed a lot to my steady, and I simply admire their friendship. They’ve known as me each night time since Dina handed away. They have been actually nice.”
Glatt spoke extra about So Blissful.
“He is again inside a month and the horse will enhance on the second flip,” he stated.
So Blissful received his first two begins across the flip, together with the seven-furlong G2 San Vicente Stakes.
“I feel Mike did an excellent job of getting him on board immediately and getting him within the excellent spot,” Glatt stated. “The one distinction was that I used to be capable of come again comparatively shortly with a two-turn effort and had a extremely good run immediately.”
Leverett S. Miller bred So Blissful in Kentucky, and Glatt bought the colt for $150,000 on the 2025 Ocala Breeders Sale March Coaching 2-Yr-Previous Sale. So Blissful beforehand bought for $12,000 as a weanling on the 2023 Keeneland November Breeding Inventory Sale and $20,000 as a yearling on the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale. So Blissful is the winner of Leverett and his late spouse Linda’s home-bred horse So Canning.
Which means was a two-length winner of Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Santa Anita Oaks offered by Surfside on April 4th. If the Which means connection sounds acquainted, it is as a result of the identical group received the Santa Anita Derby towards Journalism a 12 months in the past. Now the reference to the filly is again at Santa Anita Park. The filly has moved up the ladder with an expert victory that ought to assist her in her subsequent run within the G1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on Might 1st.
Seven 3-year-old fillies got here out of the gate within the Santa Anita Oaks. Which means settled for fourth place, ridden by jockey Juan Hernandez, with French Blue working the primary 400 meters in 22.88 seconds and 46.55 seconds. Imply angled on the 5/16 second pole and Brooklyn Blonde prevented the leaders and briefly moved in entrance round flip two. As soon as Which means had a transparent run on the skin, he took on the problem alongside Brooklyn Blonde, ending 1 1/16 miles in 1 minute, 43.99 seconds and changing into a 0.90-1 favourite to win. Brooklyn Blonde completed second by 13 3/4 lengths over third place Financial institution Shot.
Michael McCarthy, who additionally circumstances journalism, trains two of the principle homeowners of journalism in “that means.”
