LOS ANGELES — As horse racing enters its final weekend of major Kentucky Derby prep races, all eyes are on the Santa Anita Derby, with a look to both the quality and quantity of the field. It seems the race has become a victim of its own success.
There are two statistics that seem to be in conflict but are inexorably intertwined. Of the eight final win-and-you're-in Kentucky Derby preps, the Santa Anita Derby, with six starters, stands out with the fewest number of entrants. The next lowest number is eight in Saturday's Wood Memorial at Aqueduct. That's a negative.
Yet the race also stands out for sending the horse that was pronounced the winner on race day in Louisville in five of the 10 previous years. That's a positive.
