San Felipe Stakes Betting Guide

The anticipation ahead of the Kentucky Derby continues to build every year with the staging of the San Felipe Stakes. You can learn more about one of the prep races for the Triple Crown opener below.

San Felipe Stakes Event Details


The San Felipe Stakes is one of the most important prep races on the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Horses involved in this Grade 2 will race over 1 1/16 miles on dirt, with only three-year-olds able to enter. It is staged at Santa Anita annually in March, and there is a purse of $400,000 available for connections.

San Felipe Stakes Preview


Throughout history, some of the leading contenders for the Kentucky Derby have lined up at the San Felipe Stakes. The entries to run in the San Felipe Stakes aren’t made until late February. However, we can examine the previous winners of the race to help find trends to bet on the race in 2022.


  • Life Is Good (2021)

  • Authentic (2020)

  • Bolt d’Oro (2018)

  • Mastery (2017)

  • Danzing Candy (2016)


The San Felipe Stakes is a race that Bob Baffert has experienced a lot of success in over the past five years. The Hall of Famer has trained the winner of the race in three of the past four renewals. That record includes consecutive winners in 2021 and 2020. His most recent winner in the race came with Life is Good in early 2021.


Life Is Good enjoyed an excellent record before lining up for the San Felipe Stakes, as he won his maiden as well as the G3 Sham. However, despite this success, he never lined up for any of the Triple Crown races in 2021. His record was even more staggering when you consider that he beat Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit on both his runs in graded company.


Authentic, who was the winner for Baffert in 2020, followed a very similar route to the San Felipe Stakes. The then-three-year-old lined up for the Sham before heading to the Grade 2. Like Life Is Good, he also won the Grade 3 before, as he triumphed by a massive seven and a half lengths from Azul Coast. He later won the San Felipe Stakes by two and a quarter lengths from Honor A.P. However; he was then beaten by the same horse in the Santa Anita Derby. Authentic managed to win the re-arranged Kentucky Derby in 2020, which was staged at a later date in September.


Bolt d’Oro took a slightly different route to the San Felipe Stakes, as he bypassed the Sham and instead lined up in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. However, he was beaten by Good Magic in that race. Before that run, he had won on all three starts, which included victories in the

G1 Del Mar Futurity and G1 FrontRunner Stakes. Bolt d’Oro’s run in the 2018 San Felipe Stakes was his first start of the calendar year, as he beat McKinzie. However, he was later beaten by Justify in both the G1 Santa Anita Derby and the Kentucky Derby.

San Felipe Stakes Event Information


The San Felipe Stakes has been a popular race on the American calendar since it was introduced as the San Felipe Handicap. The first renewal of the race took place in 1935. However, the Second World War meant that there were no runnings of the race between 1942 and 1944.


It became a race for only three years olds in 1941, with all genders able to enter the race from 1952. Many of the most talented horses in the age group have competed in the San Felipe Stakes, as it has become a pivotal race for contenders at the Kentucky Derby. Horses that have gone on to win the San Felipe on their way to winning the opening Triple Crown include Affirmed, Sunday Silence, and California Chrome.


Bob Baffert has recorded the most winners in this race, as his win with Life Is Good in 2021 was his eighth success. Chris McCarron is the most successful jockey, as he had winners on seven occasions. Consolidator won the race in 2005 and smashed the speed record in the process, winning in a time of 1:40.11 over the current distance.


San Felipe Stakes Betting Information


The San Felipe Stakes is a pivotal race on the calendar for the best three-year-olds in training, which also ensures that it is a popular betting race. Those looking to make bets on the illustrious race can explore the markets below with many of the online sportsbooks.


  • Win: Predicting the winner of the San Felipe Stakes is the most prominent way to make a wager on the Grade 2.

  • Place: Place betting can also be done online. Gamblers must make a selection that finishes in the first two positions.

  • Trifecta: Bets can also be made on the first three horses home. However, this bet must correctly guess the finishing order.