Trainer Doug O’Neill has won the Santa Anita Derby twice, scoring with I’ll Have Another in 2012 and repeating the following year with Goldencents. He’ll have his hands full Saturday as he goes for the hat trick in the West Coast’s top Kentucky Derby prep.

O’Neill, tied with Philip D’Amato atop the Santa Anita trainer standings with 31 victories, will send out a pair of 20-1 longshots in Happy Jack and Win the Day, neither of whom has won a stakes race and will be going up against the formidable duo of Messier and Forbidden Kingdom.

Six horses were entered Wednesday for the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby, with Messier installed as the even-money favorite after drawing the No. 4 post and Forbidden Kingdom, who drew the No. 3 hole, the second choice at 6-5.

O’Neill already has a horse, Slow Down Andy, with enough Derby qualifying points to make the race May 7, but his two horses Saturday need a first- or second-place finish to qualify for the Run for Roses.

“Happy Jack is doing really well,” O’Neill told Santa Anita publicity. “Win the Day had a nice maiden win going two turns on the main track here, so we’re hoping he moves forward a little bit. He’s got a big chance. Obviously, it’s going to be a tough race, but we’ve got two live ones.”

Happy Jack, who finished third when beaten by 10 1/2 lengths by Forbidden Kingdom in the Grade II San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita on March 5, will be ridden by Abel Cedillo. He also finished fifth in the Grade III Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita on Feb. 6, beaten by 27 1/4 lengths by Messier.

On paper, this year’s Santa Anita Derby appears to be a two-horse showdown between arguably the two best 3-year-olds in the country. Messier, transferred from the recently suspended Bob Baffert to the Tim Yakteen barn, and Forbidden Kingdom, trained by Richard Mandella, have been putting on a show lately.

Messier, who will be ridden by John Velazquez, has won three of five with two seconds, including a record-setting victory in the Robert B. Lewis by 15 lengths. He needs to win or finish second to earn a berth in the Derby.

Forbidden Kingdom has won his past two starts by a combined eight lengths, including a 5 3/4-length victory in the San Felipe. He’ll be ridden by Juan Hernzndez.

Yakteen will saddle two other colts, Armagnac and Taiba, who were also transferred from the Baffert stable. Taiba, who will be ridden by Mike Smith, won his maiden debut at Santa Anita on March 5 by 7 1/2 lengths while earning an impressive 103 Beyer Speed Figure.

The Santa Anita Derby, one of seven stakes races on Saturday’s 12-race card, will go as the sixth race with a post time of 2:30 p.m. Action gets underway at noon.

The $400,000 Grade II Santa Anita Oaks, which features the talented Adare Manor, offers 100 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the winner. Adare Manor, a 12-length maiden winner at Santa Anita on Jan. 7, won her stakes debut in dominant fashion, cruising to a 13-length victory in the Grade III Las Virgenes at Santa Anita on Feb. 6.

A daughter of Uncle Mo, Adare Manor drew the outside post in the five-horse field and will be ridden by Velazquez. She’s another who was transferred to Yakteen from the Baffert barn.

Related Articles

DERBY FIELD

The lineup for Saturday’s $750,000 Santa Anita Derby, listed in post-position order with jockeys and morning-line odds:

1. Happy Jack, Cedillo, 20-1

2. Armagnac, Van Dyke, 20-1

3. Forbidden Kingdom, Hernandez, 6-5

4. Messier, Velazquez, even money

5. Win the Day, Rispoli, 20-1

6. Taiba, Smith, 4-1