So Happy profile: 2026 Kentucky Derby odds, post position, history and more to know
So Happy, a 15-1 longshot trained by Mark Glatt and ridden by veteran jockey Mike Smith, enters the 2026 Kentucky Derby off a strong victory in the Santa Anita Derby. The horse has shown improving form and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 100, though questions remain about his ability to handle the Derby's 1.25-mile distance. Glatt's emotional journey, following the recent loss of his wife, adds a poignant narrative to So Happy's bid for the Run for the Roses.
- ▪So Happy is trained by Mark Glatt and will be ridden by jockey Mike Smith in the 2026 Kentucky Derby.
- ▪The colt won the Santa Anita Derby by 2¾ lengths, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 100, the best of his career.
- ▪So Happy has a 3-1-0 record in four career starts and has earned $480,000.
- ▪His sire, Runhappy, is known for sprinters, raising concerns about So Happy's stamina for the Derby distance.
- ▪Mike Smith, at 60, aims to become the oldest jockey to win the Kentucky Derby, surpassing Bill Shoemaker's record.
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So Happy profile: 2026 Kentucky Derby odds, post position, history and more to know Get caught up with So Happy's past performances, jockey, trainer and full analysis heading into the Run for the Roses By Gene Menez Apr 30, 2026 at 12:57 pm ET • 4 min read USATSI 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.
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