So Happy wins Santa Anita Derby, giving 60-year-old jockey Mike Smith a shot at Kentucky Derby

ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) — So Happy won the $750,000 Santa Anita Derby by 2 3/4 lengths on Saturday, giving 60-year-old jockey Mike Smith a shot at becoming the oldest rider to win the Kentucky Derby.

Further Ado won the $1.25 million Blue Grass Stakes by 11 lengths at Keeneland, and Albus scored a big upset in the $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct in the other two major prep races to fill the final spots in next month’s Kentucky Derby.

Smith, a two-time Kentucky Derby winner, could break Bill Shoemaker’s record as the oldest jockey to win the Derby. Shoemaker was 54 when he rode Ferdinand to victory in 1986.

So Happy and Smith overtook Bob Baffert-trained favorite Potente in the stretch and kicked clear. So Happy ran 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.01 and paid $16.60 to win. The colt will be trainer Mark Glatt’s first Kentucky Derby entrant at age 53.

The Santa Anita Derby has produced eight Kentucky Derby winners since 1991.

Vitruvian Man was third, followed by Intrepido and Start the Ride. The top finishers earned qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby leaderboard.

At Keeneland, Irad Ortiz Jr. guided Further Ado over 1 1/8 miles in 1:49.58. The colt paid $3.70 to win for trainer Brad Cox. Further Ado...