So Happy Secures Kentucky Derby Berth with Santa Anita Derby Victory

Why it matters locally: So Happy's victory directly impacts Kentucky as it secures a spot in the upcoming Kentucky Derby, a premier sporting event held annually in Louisville that significantly boosts the state's tourism and equine industries.

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So Happy clinched a spot in the Kentucky Derby by winning the Santa Anita Derby on April 4. Jockey Mike Smith rode the colt to victory over Bob Baffert-trained favorite Potente. This performance followed So Happy's earlier win in the San Vincente Stakes at Santa Anita Park in January. Leverett Miller bred So Happy. He purchased his wife, Linda, a filly named So Divine decades prior. One of Miller's mares, So Cunning, bred with sire Runhappy, produced So Happy. Initial sales saw the colt go for $12,000, then $20,000 as a yearling in October 2024. Trainer Mark Glatt acquired So Happy for $150,000 in March 2025. So Happy's career began with a first-place finish in a 10-horse field at Del Mar on November 22. His only career loss occurred on March 7. Trainer Mark Glatt enters the Kentucky Derby for the first time in his 30-year career. Mike Smith, 60, aims to become the oldest jockey to win the Derby. So Happy opens at 15-1 odds in the 20-horse field.