By Jill Williams
When So Happy (c, 3, Runhappy–So Cunning, by Blame) won his first two starts–both sprints–impressively, then yielded when stretched out to 1 1/16 miles in the GII San Felipe Stakes Mar. 7, it could be assumed he had distance limitations. After all, his sire was the 2015 champion sprinter and So Happy had kicked off his own career with a 6 1/2-furlong maiden win Nov. 22 and a GII San Vicente Stakes win at seven furlongs Jan 10 .
So Happy ignored both the PPs and his sire's aptitude Saturday, not only scoring at 1 1/8 miles, but doing it at the highest level to capture the GI Santa Anita Derby and punch his ticket to the GI Kentucky Derby. Saturday's race awarded Derby points on a 100-50-25-15-10 scale.
Despite both $1.15-million Keeneland purchase Cherokee Nation (Not This Time), who broke his maiden by 10 lengths with a 100 Beyer Speed Figure in February, and GII San Felipe runner-up Robusta (Accelerate) stumbling out of the Santa Anita Derby gate–one right next to him–So Happy was unbothered and left the stalls smoothly. The chalk Potente (Into Mischief), who was sent at 6-5 after he parlayed his $2.4-million Fasig-Tipton Saratoga purchase price into an unbeaten two-for-two with a San Felipe win, quickly went to the lead while Robusta kept him company through :23.03 and :46.79 fractions as So Happy eased up on the gas from their outside to join two others from the three path while behind the top pair. Moving easily, So Happy got his cue from rider Mike Smith on the turn and the two made a three-wide move to draw on even terms with the pacesetters entering the lane. Robusta quickly waved the white flag as So Happy matched strides with Potente, but it was to be a brief battle. So Happy thumbed his nose at his rival as he leveled out and Potente's stride shortened, then powered home 2 3/4 lengths the best. Longshot Vitruvian Man (Vino Rosso) finished another 6 3/4 lengths back in third. GI American Pharoah winner and 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' Intrepido (Maximus Mischief) was never a factor and finished fourth.
So Happy got the Santa Anita Derby's nine furlongs in 1:49.01. He races for Norman Stables LLC and Saints or Sinners.
“There's more there in the tank for sure,” said Smith. “I'm looking forward to going to Kentucky again.”
It was trainer Mark Glatt's first Santa Anita Derby win and Smith's sixth, including the rider's fifth since 2018. Smith has twice previously won the Kentucky Derby, but So Happy will mark the first starter in the Classic for Glatt. The win Saturday was a popular and emotional one, as Glatt suddenly lost his wife of 25 years, Dena, two months ago to heart failure.
“It's pretty hard to describe,” said Glatt immediately after the race. “We have had an overwhelming amount of support that's helped us get through this very tough time. [Dena] got that horse there today. I'm just so thankful to the owners for giving me an opportunity. They are big contributors to my stable. They are not really owners, they have become lifelong friends.”
So Happy has been sent through public auctions three times. He first brought $12,000 as a weanling at Keeneland November from Majed Alabdulkarim, then $20,000 from Sander Blanco as a Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October yearling. Glatt signed the $150,000 ticket for him at OBS March as a 2-year-old last year after he worked a furlong in :10.
So Happy | Benoit
Pedigree Notes:
For a time, the Santa Anita Derby was officially named the Runhappy Santa Anita Derby. Runhappy's owner Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale extensively promoted his champion sprinter and Claiborne sire before abruptly exiting the racing business last September and selling Runhappy to South Korea. Runhappy now gets his second career Grade I winner as a sire with So Happy's victory in the race that formerly bore his name. With six crops to race, Runhappy has five graded winners and 20 black-type winners.
Two of Runhappy's black-type winners are out of Blame mares, with So Happy's winning dam hailing from the same female family as GI Carter Handicap winner and GI Hopeful Stakes winner Silver Wagon. Leverett S. Miller bred both So Happy and his 2-year-old half-brother by Demarchelier (GB), who has been named Wise Walker and was purchased as a weanling at Keeneland November for $1,500 by Richard Forbush. The mare was barren to War of Will for 2026.
🌹🤗 #5 SO HAPPY ($16.60) and Mike Smith rolled home to win the $500,000 Santa Anita Derby (G1), earning 100 pts. towards the Kentucky Derby. The son of Runhappy is trained by Mark Glatt. pic.twitter.com/4YabcWCysI
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) April 4, 2026
Saturday, Santa Anita
SANTA ANITA DERBY-GI, $501,000, Santa Anita, 4-4, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:49.01, ft.
1–SO HAPPY, 124, c, 3, by Runhappy
1st Dam: So Cunning, by Blame
2nd Dam: So Glitzy, by Gilded Time
3rd Dam: So Ritzy, by Darn That Alarm
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($12,000 Wlg '23 KEENOV; $20,000 Ylg '24
FTKOCT; $150,000 2yo '25 OBSMAR). O-Norman Stables LLC
and Saints or Sinners; B-Leverett S. Miller (KY); T-Mark Glatt;
J-Mike E. Smith. $300,000. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-1, $480,000.
Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Potente, 124, c, 3, Into Mischief–Sweet Sting, by Awesome
Again. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($2,400,000 Ylg '24 FTSAUG).
O-Speedway Stables LLC; B-Pam & Martin Wygod (KY); T-Bob
Baffert. $100,000.
3–Vitruvian Man, 124, c, 3, Vino Rosso–Caradini, by Bernardini.
1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK
TYPE. ($47,000 RNA Ylg '24 KEESEP). O-Glenn Sorgenstein WC
Racing Inc.; B-Glenn Sorgenstein WC Racing Inc. (KY); T-Doug F.
O'Neill. $60,000.
Margins: 2 3/4, 6 3/4, HF. Odds: 7.30, 1.20, 47.10.
Also Ran: Intrepido, Start the Ride, Cherokee Nation, Robusta. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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