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If the horse racing gods play a role in determining the 2026 Kentucky Derby winner, then So Happy will win by daylight. There would be no better story on May 2 than this colt from California winning for trainer Mark Glatt, who endured an unspeakable loss earlier this year when his wife of 25 years, Dena, died from cardiac arrest. And though So Happy is a double-digit longshot, he enters the Derby in the best form of his career and gives the connections valid hope. Bet So Happy and the entire Kentucky Derby at TwinSpires, where new users who click through our links get a supersized $400 sign-up bonus:

8 So Happy (15-1)

  • Trainer: Mark Glatt
  • Jockey: Mike Smith
  • Last race: First in the Santa Anita Derby by 2¾ lengths
  • Career record: 4 starts: 3 wins, 1 third
  • Career earnings: $480,000
  • Best career Beyer Speed Figure: 100 (Santa Anita Derby)
  • Sire: Runhappy

Below, we'll dig further into So Happy as part of our series profiling all the horses competing in the 152nd Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 2. We'll look back into his past performances, what questions need to be answered Saturday and analyze how the post draw affects his chances.

Now that you know who's in the field, you'll want to know how to bet the Kentucky Derby on the top horse racing betting apps. FanDuel Racing offers a $25 bonus with a $5 bet. Claim it here:

What to know about So Happy

Moments after So Happy won the Santa Anita Derby to earn his spot in the Run for the Roses, trainer Mark Glatt took time to reflect on his difficult start to 2026. Less than two months had passed since his wife, Dena, had died at age 57. "It's pretty hard to describe," he told SportsLine's Michelle Yu in the winner's circle. "We've had an overwhelming amount of support, and it has helped us get through this very very tough time."

He then paused to collect himself and then continued, "[Dena] got that horse there today."

There was not a dry eye in the winner's circle that day, and there will be more happy tears if So Happy can cross the finish line first on Saturday.

Showing the speed of his sire, champion sprinter Runhappy, So Happy won his first two starts, both at one turn. After an eight-week break, he faded to third in the San Felipe Stakes, beaten by 2¼ lengths. Critics questioned the horse's ability to go two turns, but Glatt believed the horse being too close to a hot pace and the eight-week layoff contributed to the defeat.

In his final prep race, the Santa Anita Derby, So Happy got a perfect trip outside at a moderate pace and pulled away from the Bob Baffert-trained Potente to win by 2¾ widening lengths. 

The performance earned So Happy a Beyer Speed Figure of 100, which is the best of his career and right there with race favorites Renegade and Commandment. It also earned a huge Thoro-graph figure, second to only Further Ado's career best.

Despite the big speed figure, questions remain about So Happy's ability to get the extra distance of the Kentucky Derby. Sire Runhappy's sons and daughters are notorious sprinters, and Runhappy so failed as a sire in Kentucky that he's now in South Korea.

To be fair, So Happy's dam side is full of distance influences.

Also, So Happy got a perfect trip when winning the Santa Anita Derby stalking reasonable fractions, but there's no guarantee that he will get another perfect trip in the 20-horse rumble of the Kentucky Derby. 

Luckily for So Happy, jockey Mike Smith, who has been aboard the colt in all four career starts, will be aboard once again. The 60-year-old Smith holds the record for most Derby mounts (28) and has won the race twice, with Giacomo (in 2005) and eventual Triple Crown winner Justify (2018). With a win on Saturday, Smith would become the oldest Kentucky Derby-winning jockey, breaking the record held by Bill Shoemaker, who was 54 in 1986.

Glatt, whose horses have won more than 1,300 races in his career, will be saddling his first Kentucky Derby starter. 

The combination of Glatt's story, Smith and a catchy name could lead to So Happy being an underlay in the odds at FanDuel Racing, TwinSpires and 1/ST BET. But So Happy backers are still likely to shed happy tears at the windows if he wins. Claim our jumbo-sized 1/ST BET offer here to get a $500 sign-up bonus:

Post draw analysis

Smith and So Happy worked out a perfect trip in winning the seven-horse Santa Anita Derby and will likely need to manage another one to don the blanket of roses. Luckily for them, they drew perfectly in the No. 8 post. From this middle spot, So Happy should be able to track the leaders without having to lose too much ground. Mage won from the No. 8 post just three years ago.