Santa Anita Park is known for introducing racing fans to Kentucky Derby contenders, and the California course will do that once again when the 2025 San Felipe Stakes gets underway on Saturday. Six colts will get a chance to race in the Run for the Roses. Infamous trainer Bob Baffert will make his return to Churchill Downs this spring and has three horses racing in the San Felipe Stakes 2025. Post time is 6:43 p.m. ET.

Barnes, a Baffert product, is the 1-1 favorite in the 2025 San Felipe Stakes odds, followed by stablemate Rodriguez at 9-5. Journalism (7-2), Mellencamp (6-1), Smooth Cruisein (30-1) and Berlin Wall (30-1) make up the rest of the 2025 San Felipe Stakes field. With talented three-year-olds set to enter the starting gate on Sunday, you’ll want to see what Santa Anita-based racing reporter and insider Michelle Yu has to say before making any 2025 San Felipe Stakes 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 tremendous 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, Yu correctly called National Treasure to win the Pegasus World Cup, predicted Stronghold’s upset win in the Santa Anita Derby and smashed the exacta in the Apple Blossom Handicap. On the Belmont Stakes undercard, she nailed National Treasure’s win in the Met Mile, and had the winner and exacta in the Woody Stephens Stakes. She closed out the year by hitting the exacta in the Breeders’ Cup Classic.  

Now, Yu has handicapped the 2025 San Felipe Stakes lineup, made her picks and constructed her best bets. You can head to SportsLine now to see them.

Top 2025 San Felipe Stakes predictions

One surprise: Yu is fading Barnes, even though he is the heavy favorite at 1-1. There is plenty of early 2025 Kentucky Derby hype surrounding this Bob Baffert trainee. He has two first-place finishes in two career starts, including a victory at the San Vicente Stakes (Gr. 2) in January when he pulled ahead on the turn at Santa Anita for an easy win. That said, the expert isn’t confident in backing this son of Into Mischief at such short odds.

“He cost $3.2 million, so there are lofty expectations,” Yu told SportsLine. “He was overly impressive in the San Vicente Stakes when he made the field look ordinary, but he has never been two turns. His pedigree and training say that should not be a problem, but there is never a guarantee.” You can see all of Yu’s 2025 San Felipe Stakes bets here.

How to make 2025 San Felipe Stakes picks

Yu is especially high on a favorite who “should make headlines.” She is including this horse in her 2025 San Felipe Stakes bets, and so should you. She’s sharing which horses to back at SportsLine.

So who wins the 2025 San Felipe Stakes? And which horse shocks Santa Anita Park? Visit SportsLine to see Yu’s picks for the San Felipe Stakes 2025, all from the Santa Anita-based racing insider who nailed the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and find out. 

2025 San Felipe Stakes odds, contenders