Kentucky Derby: How to bet $100 on the Run for the Roses
Learn how to effectively bet $100 on the Kentucky Derby 2026!
Trainer Mark Glatt is a sentimental favorite for the Kentucky Derby following the death of his wife. His emotional journey adds depth to the upcoming race at Churchill Downs.
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Kentucky Derby trainer Mark Glatt talks to the media after a workout at Churchill Downs on Tuesday in Louisville, Ky. (Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)
Every Kentucky Derby evokes emotion in the winning horseâs team, but the 1990 race brought it to a level even beyond a Hallmark movie.
Trainer Carl Nafzger famously described Unbridledâs stretch run to 92-year-old owner Frances Genter, whose eyesight was failing.
âHeâs taking the lead. Heâs on the lead, Mrs. Genter. Heâs on the lead. Heâs gonna win. Heâs gonna win. ⊠Heâs the winner. Heâs the winner, Mrs. Genter. ⊠You won it. You won the Kentucky Derby. Oh, Mrs. Genter, I love you.â
As Al Michaels said on ABC, âYou couldnât get it to look that way in a movie if you did 50 takes.â
Kentucky Derby entrant So Happy works out at Churchill Downs on Monday in Louisville, Ky. (Charlie Riedel / Associated Press)
Some 36 years later, Mrs. Genter could have company Saturday if So Happy wins the 152nd Derby at Churchill Downs.
The Santa Anita Derby champion is trained by Mark Glatt, a genial but quiet native of Washington state who in February endured tragedy: the heart failure and sudden death of his wife of 25 years, Dena. She was 57, four years older than her husband, with whom she had three children.
Glatt, who wears a bracelet containing some of Denaâs ashes âso sheâll always be with me,â unsurprisingly was emotional after the Santa Anita Derby last month. It was the first victory by the colt since his wifeâs death, and it also meant the Monrovia resident would have a horse in the Kentucky Derby for the first time.
Mark Glatt is viewed as a sentimental favorite due to the recent passing of his wife, which adds an emotional layer to his participation in the race.
Past Kentucky Derby winners often have emotional stories, such as trainer Carl Nafzger's heartfelt moment with owner Frances Genter during Unbridled's victory in 1990.
The Kentucky Derby is being held at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.
The Kentucky Derby is a prestigious event that evokes strong emotions for trainers and owners, often symbolizing their hard work and dedication in the horse racing industry.
Learn how to effectively bet $100 on the Kentucky Derby 2026!

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âItâs pretty hard to describe,â he said then. âWe have had an overwhelming amount of support, and itâs helped us get through this very, very tough time. She got that horse there today.â
For the most part since, including during an interview Thursday morning at his barn at Churchill Downs, he politely has declined to discuss his wife, saying he just doesnât feel comfortable. But he has opened up a bit on rare occasions.
âI absolutely think sheâs above and pushing us through this and hopefully enjoying the ride along with us,â Glatt told reporters this week. âShe would be happy for me and all the hard work. Sheâd be happy for all of the connections. I think sheâd be very proud of an accomplishment like this.
âWeâre still together, even if itâs just in spirit.â
Hans Maron, one of So Happyâs co-owners along with his wife, Ana, and Robbie Norman, paused to gather himself Thursday when asked how much Dena Glatt would have enjoyed being at the Derby for the first time.
So Happy runs on the track during Kentucky Derby training Thursday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. (Andy Lyons / Getty Images)
âShe is here,â Maron said.
Asked if he has allowed himself to dream about what it would be like if So Happy won, Maron said, âI'm not arrogant, but I envision it. I mean, I believe. I'm not a homer but I'm a believer. I really think he's gonna take us there. I think he's the right horse at the right time.â
Early wagering seems to indicate the public believes So Happy is a major contender. He was co-sixth choice on the morning line at 15-1 â a surprising number, given his speed figures for the Santa Anita victory were comparable to almost anything his competitors have posted this spring â but as of Friday evening, he was the 6-1 co-second choice along with Commandment and Further Ado, just behind Renegade at 5-1.
Itâs hard to find a trainer who isnât happy with their horse at this point, and Glatt is no different: âNothingâs told me that heâs not sitting on a really good race,â the trainer said.
Those who doubt So Happy point to his breeding: His sire, Runhappy, was a champion sprinter not known for producing horses who can run more than a mile. But Runhappyâs sire, Super Saver, won the 2010 Derby, and So Happyâs grandsire on his motherâs side is Blame, who captured the Breedersâ Cup Classic later that year at Churchill Downs.
âIf you watch him train,â Maron said, âhe's long and he covers a lot of ground. Heâs just a really smart horse, actually. That's the biggest thing. He uses his energy when it's needed.â
Maron, a co-founder of Fairlife Milk (which was sold to Coca-Cola), said he has been a racing fan since he was 14 but never dreamed of owning a horse, let alone being in the Derby. The Marons, who live in Arizona, have been with Glatt for about five years, and they were close friends with the trainer and his wife. Glatt has credited the couple with supporting him emotionally the last few months.
Theyâll all be together Saturday for the race that elicits emotion like no other. Even So Happyâs jockey, 60-year-old Mike Smith, who has more Derby experience than any other rider, including two wins, struggled to explain what a victory would mean.
âI wish I had some words to tell you what it would mean, but those are just things that you'd have to just feel and see to really understand it,â said Smith, who would be the oldest jockey to win the Derby (Bill Shoemaker was 54 in 1986).
Glatt paused a long time before saying he has not allowed himself to think about what it would be like to win.
âThat'll all hit if ⊠you know, I don't want to get ahead of myself,â Glatt said. âI'm sure that would all hit me if we would be so fortunate.â
Right to Party was withdrawn Friday morning with what state veterinarians said was lameness in his right front leg, moving Robusta into the field and giving trainer Doug OâNeill two (long shot) chances for his third Derby win. OâNeill, who also has Pavlovian as a starter, named Cristian Torres to ride Robusta because Emisael Jaramillo had commitments at Santa Anita.
The last rainfall here was Wednesday and there is none in the forecast for Saturday. Itâs not warm, though: The high temperature the last couple of days barely touched 60, and the post-time forecast calls for 55 degrees with fairly light winds.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.