Trainer Bob Baffert will try to win for the sixth time when he saddles two horses in the 2024 Santa Anita Handicap on Sunday at Santa Anita Park. Baffert's five wins in the race also known as the Big 'Cap ranks second all-time behind Charlie Whittingham's nine victories, but Baffert hasn't won the race since 2014. On Sunday, he'll go for No. 6 with Newgate (4-1) and Reincarnate (8-1). San Pasqual Stakes winner Newgrange is the 5-2 favorite in the latest 2024 Santa Anita Handicap odds. The lightly-raced Highland Falls is right behind him at 3-1 in the 2024 Santa Anita Handicap field.
The 2024 Santa Anita Handicap post time is set for 7 p.m. ET. With several accomplished horses set to enter the starting gate on Sunday, you'll want to see what Santa Anita-based racing reporter and analyst Michelle Yu has to say before making any 2024 Santa Anita Handicap picks.
Few people in racing are as well-connected as Yu. An on-air host and reporter who has provided racing analysis for TVG, HRTV and the Breeders' Cup, Yu has spent a lifetime in racing. Prior to her television career, she worked for trainers Steve Asmussen and Ron Moquett. She also is married to Santa Anita-based trainer Ryan Hanson.
Yu also has astute handicapping chops. In a wide-open Kentucky Derby in 2021, she gave out Medina Spirit, who crossed the finish line first, as the winner at 12-1. In Pool 5 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager two years ago, she suggested a play on All Other 3-Year-Olds, which cashed at a whopping 18-1 when Rich Strike won the Derby.
Last year she crushed the Saudi Cup, riding 15-1 winner Panthalassa, nailed Derma Sotogake to win the UAE Derby and hit the exacta in the Santa Anita Derby. She hit the exacta in the Preakness Stakes and Hollywood Gold Cup and had both the winner and exacta in the Summertime Oaks and the Prince of Wales's Stakes. She also smashed the Haskell Stakes for a $663 score, hitting 12-1 winner Geaux Rocket Ride as well as the exacta. And in January, she correctly called National Treasure to win the Pegasus World Cup.
Now, Yu has handicapped the 2024 Santa Anita Handicap lineup, made her picks and constructed her best bets. You can head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2024 Santa Anita Handicap predictions
One surprise: Yu is fading Highland Falls, even though he's one of the top favorites at 3-1. Highland Falls has three wins in just four career starts. He is coming off a ¾-length victory in an allowance race at the Fair Grounds in New Orleans.
On Sunday, Highland Falls will face the toughest field he has faced by far in his short career. "He's not impossible for a piece, but there are a lot of question marks," Yu told SportsLine. Yu is using Highland Falls only sparingly in her 2024 Santa Anita Handicap picks. You can see all of Yu's 2024 Santa Anita Handicap bets here.
How to make 2024 Santa Anita Handicap picks
Moreover, Yu is high on a horse with a "closing kick." Her top pick is a horse who "has been confident, strong and resilient." She is including these horses in her 2024 Santa Anita Handicap bets, and so should you. She's sharing which horses to back at SportsLine.
So who wins the 2024 Santa Anita Handicap, what horse with a closing kick is a must-back, and how has Yu constructed her wagers? Visit SportsLine to see Yu's picks for the Santa Anita Handicap, and find out.
2024 Santa Anita Handicap odds, contenders
| Prg # | Horse | Odds | Projection |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Reincarnate | 8-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 2 | Highland Falls | 3-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 3 | Mixto | 6-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 4 | Salesman | 6-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 5 | Newgate | 4-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 6 | Subsanador | 5-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 7 | Newgrange | 5-2 | SEE PICKS |
