So Happy was no fluke, outrunning Buetane in the San Vicente Stakes

The son of Runhappy upset the heavy favorite, punching his ticket to the Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita Park

So Happy handled the task with ease / BENOIT PHOTO

ARCADIA, California (Special to Turf Diario).- Those who dismissed his 38-1 winning debut at Del Mar as a stroke of luck were forced to yield to the evidence this Saturday at Santa Anita Park. So Happy (Runhappy) demonstrated he possesses the class necessary for the big leagues by authoritatively capturing the San Vicente Stakes (G2), a key fixture for 3-year-olds over 1400 meters (seven furlongs) on the dirt.

Guided by the legendary Mike Smith, the Mark Glatt trainee sat off the pace while the frontrunner Acknowledgemeplz (Bucchero) went for broke with blistering fractions of :22.03 and :43.56. Turning into the stretch, So Happy accelerated sharply, overtaking the leader at the 200-meter pole and firmly holding off the charge of the heavy favorite Buetane (Tiz the Law). He finished 2 lengths clear in a sharp time of 1:21.12.

“He confirmed what he did on debut with an impressive performance,” an exultant Glatt commented after the win. Meanwhile, "Big Money" Smith was enthusiastic about the colt's upside: “He handled the seven furlongs very well, which is usually a great sign that he can go two turns. He galloped out very strong.”

Owned by Norman Stables LLC and Saints or Sinners, the bay was a $150,000 purchase at the OBS March sale last year. With this victory, So Happy remains undefeated in two starts and sets his sights directly on the path to the Santa Anita Derby (G1) in April. Before the big event, the Robert B. Lewis (G3) at a mile (Feb. 7) or the San Felipe (G2) at 1 1/16 miles (March 7) appear as logical stepping stones to test his stamina.

“We liked the horse quite a bit,” noted Glatt. “We asked a lot of him in his debut. He had to be shipped to Del Mar the same day of the race. He tends to get distracted in the mornings; in fact, we work him in blinkers every day because he wants to look at everything around him. I just felt that, perhaps, he is a horse that needs a bit more seasoning on the track.”

The field was rounded out by runner-up Buetane (trained by Bob Baffert), who finished 2 1/4 lengths ahead of Acknowledgemeplz.