The final three major prep races for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve worth 100 qualifying points each to the winner are on tap for Saturday in New York, Kentucky, and California, so by this time next week the field for the 151^st. run for the roses will be just about finalized.

The $500,000, Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita Park has historically been an influential prep race for the Triple Crown and an important addition to the résumé of any 3-year-old racehorse.

Twenty 3-year-olds have competed in the Santa Anita Derby and gone on to win the Kentucky Derby, including 10 talented enough to win them both: Hill Gail (1952), Determine (1954), Swaps (1955), Lucky Debonair (1965), Majestic Prince (1969), Affirmed (1978), the filly Winning Colors (1988), Sunday Silence (1989), I’ll Have Another (2012), California Chrome (2014), and Justify (2018).

This year’s race drew a field of only five entrants, but the 2025 Santa Anita Derby is all about quality over quantity, and three of the five rank highly on most lists of contenders for the upcoming first jewel of the Triple Crown May 3 at Churchill Downs.

The Santa Anita Derby will be broadcast live on CNBC and streamed on Peacock during a one-hour show hosted by NBC Sports’ Kentucky Derby team. The show airs from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET, with post time for the Santa Anita Derby set for 7:46 p.m.

Read on for information about the contenders and some betting insights:

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1. Journalism (6-5 morning-line odds)

Jockey: Umberto Rispoli

Trainer: Michael McCarthy

Owners: Bridlewood Farm, Don Alberto Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Elayne Stables 5, Robert V. Lapenta, Susan Magnier, Derrick Smith, and Michael B. Tabor

Career record: 4 starts – 3 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third

Career earnings: $338,880

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 110

Pedigree: Curlin – Mopotism, by Uncle Mo

Kentucky Derby points: 47.5

Color: Bay

Running style: Stalker

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Since winning his maiden in his second lifetime start going a mile at Del Mar last Nov. 17, Journalism has made a career of beating a lineup of various Bob Baffert favorites in southern California graded stakes spots. Getaway Car and Gaming were among his four victims when he won the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity in December, and then he came back for his 3-year-old debut in Santa Anita’s Grade 2 DK Horse San Felipe Stakes and was victorious again over a field that included Rodriguez and the previously unbeaten Barnes. Journalism’s 110 Equibase Speed Figure and 108 Beyer Speed Figure are both tops in the Santa Anita Derby field, and he stands a legitimate chance of improving those numbers further here in what will be his second start as a sophomore off the 2 ½-month layoff between the Los Al Futurity and the San Felipe. His Bob Baffert rivals in this race, Citizen Bull and Barnes, will sort out the pace situation among themselves while Journalism projects to race comfortably a length or two behind. He has yet to show any signs that this slight stretchout to 1 1/8 miles will pose any problem. Baffert has yet to beat him – will this race be any different? Trainer Michael McCarthy is seeking his first ever Santa Anita Derby triumph. Jockey Umberto Rispoli will be going for his second victory after he won the 2021 Santa Anita Derby aboard Rock Your World.

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2. Citizen Bull (9-5)

Jockey: Martin Garcia

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Owners: SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Robert Masterson, Tom Ryan, Waves Edge Capital, and Catherine Donovan

Career record: 5 starts – 4 wins – 0 seconds – 1 third

Career earnings: $1,421,000

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 107

Pedigree: Into Mischief – No Joke, by Distorted Humor

Kentucky Derby points: 60

Color: Bay

Running style: Pacesetter

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Citizen Bull was the champion 2-year-old of 2024 thanks to wins that included the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes Presented by DK Horse at Santa Anita and the FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Presented by TAA at Del Mar, both accomplished in wire-to-wire fashion. Since then, he returned for another successful outing in his 3-year-old debut in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes on Feb.1 when he cruised to victory over Rodriguez and Madaket Road, who gave futile chase in second and third. So far, Citizen Bull has proven to be an ideal combination of speed and stamina on his current three-race winning streak in races at either one mile or 1 1/16 miles, and the Santa Anita Derby’s 1 1/8-mile distance seems like it will be well within his scope. Since serious pace pressure is unlikely to come from speedy stablemate Barnes in earnest, the task of keeping Citizen Bull company up front will likely fall upon maiden winner Baeza in the Santa Anita Derby. If that type of speed duel doesn’t materialize, catching Citizen Bull might prove to be too tough of a task for either Barnes or Journalism, neither of whom will be too far behind. Trainer Bob Baffert has won the Santa Anita Derby a record nine times, but believe it or not he has not won since Roadster took top honors back in 2019. Jockey Martin Garcia owns one career Santa Anita Derby victory, which came back in 2015 aboard the Baffert-trained Dortmund.

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3. Westwood (20-1)

Jockey: Tiago Pereira

Trainer: John Shirreffs

Owner: C R K Stable

Career record: 3 starts – 0 wins – 1 second – 1 third

Career earnings: $20,700

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 94

Pedigree: Authentic – Indian Bay, by Indian Charlie

Kentucky Derby points: 0

Color: Bay

Running style: Stalker

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Westwood enters the 2025 Santa Anita Derby as a maiden (a horse yet to win a race) and is likely to be the post-time longshot in the five-horse field. The Authentic colt has raced competitively against tough rivals in both of his last two defeats but will face even better competition Saturday, and getting his maiden win seems like it should be a monumental task. Westwood finished third two races ago in a field that included John Shirreffs and C R K Stable barnmate Baeza and the Bob Baffert-trained runner-up Mellencamp. Westwood then lost last time out to highly regarded Baffert maiden winner Voldemort at Santa Anita going 1 1/16 miles when he finished well but came up 1 ¼ lengths short. Westwood’s slim chances in the Santa Anita Derby would seem to rely on laying back at the rear of the field and saving something in reserve for the stretch run just in case all four of his rivals empty themselves out on a hot pace.

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4. Barnes (3-1)

Jockey: Juan Hernandez

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Owners: Zedan Racing Stables

Career record: 3 starts – 2 wins – 1 second – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $249,000

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 107

Pedigree: Into Mischief – All American Dream, by American Pharoah

Kentucky Derby points: 18.75

Color: Bay

Running style: Pacesetter/press the pace

Notable achievements and interesting facts: This Bob Baffert trainee named for Baffert’s longtime (26 years) assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes has raced in the spotlight for his entire three-race career so far. Barnes was purchased as a yearling for $3.2 million and later chosen by Baffert as the horse he would bring to Churchill Downs to end his three-year Louisville ban with a victory last November. No pressure, and Barnes narrowly but gamely delivered by winning at first asking. Since then, Barnes added a 5 ½-length win in the Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes going seven furlongs at Santa Anita and was twice made the individual favorite in two Kentucky Derby Future Wager (KDFW) betting pools this past winter. Barnes had his first run-in with adversity last time out when he lost to Journalism by 1 ¾ lengths in Santa Anita’s Grade 2 DK Horse San Felipe Stakes. He led much of the way but could not hold off an oncoming Journalism in the late stages of what was his first outing around two turns at the distance of 1 1/16 miles. The distance increases again in the Santa Anita Derby and the competition doesn’t get any easier, with Journalism back again along with Barnes’ own stablemate Citizen Bull. The key to victory for Barnes will be whether or not he can successfully rate at this extended distance as effectively as he did when winning the San Vicente. Baffert goes for his record 10^th victory in the Santa Anita Derby and owner Amr Zedan goes for his second win (Taiba in 2022) while jockey Juan Hernandez seeks his first-ever triumph.

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5. Baeza (6-1)

Jockey: Hector Berrios

Trainer: John Shirreffs

Owners: C R K Stable and Grandview Equine

Career record: 3 starts – 1 win – 1 second – 0 thirds

Career earnings: $48,500

Top Equibase Speed Figure: 104

Pedigree: McKinzie – Puca, by Big Brown

Kentucky Derby points: 0

Color: Bay

Running style: Press the pace/stalker

Notable achievements and interesting facts: Baeza exits a maiden win in his most recent start when he scored a decisive victory over Mellencamp and Westwood going one mile at Santa Anita on Valentine’s Day. That was a nice win, but let’s face it – at this early point in his career, Baeza’s top claim to fame is still his classic-winning bloodlines. Bred by Grandview Equine, he’s by the sire McKinzie and out of the broodmare Puca, which makes Baeza a half-brother to two recent classic winners, 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage and 2024 Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch (both sired by Good Magic). Can Grandview and Puca possibly be represented in a Triple Crown winner’s circle for a third straight year? Those hopes will rely on Baeza, who will first have to prove himself in this race. So far, Baeza’s speed figures have topped out at 104 on the Equibase formula and 93 according to Beyer, and he will be in an awkward pace scenario where it might fall upon his shoulders to run with Citizen Bull in the early stages. That means he will have his work cut out for him against this star-studded field. Trainer John Shirreffs will be going for his fourth career win in the Santa Anita Derby after winning in 2007 with Tiago, in 2017 with Gormley, and in 2020 with Honor A.P., who was campaigned by Baeza’s co-owners, C R K Stable.