An experienced racehorse, Smile Happy rounds out the top 10 in the current 2022 Kentucky Derby standings. He’s in the final field for May 7 and past races against some of the top horses could give him a leg up on competition. Below, we’ll lay out everything you need to know about Smile Happy in the upcoming Derby.
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Smile Happy Kentucky Derby Profile
Record: 2-2-0 (4)
Owner: Lucky Seven Stable
Jockey: Corey Lanerie
Trainer: Kenneth G. McPeek
Color: Dark Bay
Kentucky Derby points (standing): 70 (10th)
Running Style: Stalker
Last race: Placed in Blue Grass Stakes (G1)
Sire/Dam: Run Happy/Pleasant Smile
Past Performances
| Date | Race | Length | Beyer Speed Figure | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4/9/22 | Blue Grass Stakes (G1) | 1 1/8 miles | 94 | 2nd |
| 2/19/22 | Risen Star (G2) | 1 1/8 miles | 94 | 2nd |
| 11/27/21 | Kentucky Jockey Club (G2) | 1 1/16 miles | 90 | 1st |
| 10/29/21 | MSW | 1 1/16 mile | 82 | 1st |
The Word On Smile Happy
April 30: Smile Happy ran with Tiz the Bomb on Saturday, where both posted a 48-second half-mile. “Everyone came out of their workouts in good shape,” said Greg Geier, assistant to trainer Kenny McPeek.
May 3: Trainer Kenny McPeek: “I’m real pleased with both Smile Happy in the five and Tiz the Bomb in the nine. I wanted to be inside Zandon, and that happened. They’ll be fine, in both their spots. In 2013, I had two starters, when I ran Frac Daddy (finished 16th) and Java’s War (finished 13th).”
Betting insight from Dave Bontempo
A pair of bridesmaid efforts for Smile Happy should propel him to Louisville. He placed in both the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) and Risen Star Stakes (G2) but nearly had the victory in the former. He took the lead at the top of the stretch, but Zandon ran him down at the end.
In retrospect, both these races were good prep work for him, as expected contenders Epicenter and Zandon have been the only horses to upend Smile Happy.
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Kentucky Derby Odds 2022
Any bets made on the TVG app will see odds shift based on how much is wagered on each horse until the starting gates open.
| Post | Horse | Latest odds (6:30 p.m. ET | Morning Line Odds | Trainer | Jockey | W-P-S (Races) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mo Donegal | 9-1 | 10-1 | Todd Pletcher | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 3-0-2 (5) |
| 2 | Happy Jack | 20-1 | 30-1 | Doug O'Neill | Rafael Bejarano | 0-0-2 (3) |
| 3 | Epicenter | 5-1 | 7-2 | Steve Asmussen | Joel Rosario | 4-1-0 (6) |
| 4 | Summer Is Tomorrow | 33-1 | 30-1 | Bhupat Seemar | Mickael Barzalona | 2-3-0 (7) |
| 5 | Smile Happy | 14-1 | 20-1 | Kenny McPeek | Corey Lanerie | 2-2-0 (4) |
| 6 | Messier (CAN) | 6-1 | 8-1 | Tim Yakteen* | John Velazquez | 3-3-0 (6) |
| 7 | Crown Pride (JPN) | 17-1 | 20-1 | Koichi Shintani | Christophe Lemaire | 3-0-0 (4) |
| 8 | Charge It | 15-1 | 20-1 | Todd Pletcher | Luis Saez | 1-2-0 (3) |
| 9 | Tiz the Bomb | 27-1 | 30-1 | Kenny McPeek | Brian Hernandez Jr. | 5-1-0 (8) |
| 10 | Zandon | 6-1 | 3-1 | Chad Brown | Flavien Prat | 2-1-1 (4) |
| 11 | Pioneer of Medina | 53-1 | 30-1 | Todd Pletcher | Joe Bravo | 2-1-2 (6) |
| 12 | Taiba | 5-1 | 12-1 | Tim Yakteen* | Mike Smith | 2-0-0 (2) |
| 13 | Simplification | 35-1 | 20-1 | Antionio Sano | Jose Ortiz | 3-1-2 (7) |
| 14 | Barber Road | 54-1 | 30-1 | John Ortiz | Rey Gutierrez | 2-4-1 (8) |
| 15 | White Abarrio | 14-1 | 10-1 | Saffie Joseph Jr. | Tyler Gaffalione | 4-0-1 (5) |
| 16 | Cyberknife | 15-1 | 20-1 | Brad Cox | Florent Geroux | 3-2-0 (6) |
| 17 | Classic Causway | 75-1 | 30-1 | Brian Lynch | Julien Leparoux | 3-1-1 (6) |
| 18 | Tawny Port | 74-1 | 30-1 | Brad Cox | Ricardo Santana Jr. | 3-1-0 (5) |
| 19 | Zozos | 43-1 | 20-1 | Brad Cox | Manny Franco | 2-1-0 (3) |
| 21 | Rich Strike | 80-1 | 30-1 | Eric Reed | Sonny Leon | 1-0-3 (7) |
