Santa Anita Derby 2013: Top Horses to Put Smart Money on

The 2013 Santa Anita Derby will come roaring out of the gate on Saturday in Arcadia, with a couple of Bob Baffert horses likely to be in the thick of things.

Flashback is the favorite this year at the Santa Anita Derby after two victories already in 2013. But watch out for another horse trained by Paul Aguirre.

Here's a look at three horses that have the best chance of emerging victorious at the 2013 Santa Anita Derby.

Flashback

Trained by the legendary Bob Baffert, Flashback has won twice in three races this year and finished second at the March 9 San Felipe Stakes. That's after finishing first in his only race in 2012.

The colt's chances increase with the recent scratch of Hear the Ghost, who won the March 9 San Felipe Stakes.

Baffert has also switched jockeys after the second-place finish to Hear the Ghost, going with Garrett Gomez over Julien Leparoux, per the Los Angeles Times. I ultimately like the change.

The one thing that may stop Flashback from winning is the fact that the thoroughbred is slotted at the No. 1 post position, which Baffert admitted he didn't like, per the Los Angeles Times report.

Power Broker

Power Broker, another Bob Baffert horse, placed in the top five in all five of the colt's races last year. That included a victory at the FrontRunner Stakes on Sept. 29, when he won by six-and-a-half lengths.

This will be the three-year-old's first start of 2013, having run eight drills at the Santa Anita track since Feb. 14. He's slotted in the No. 3 post position.

Tiz a Minister

Tiz a Minister, who finished third at the March 9 San Felipe Stakes, has finished in the top three in each of his three starts this year. That includes a victory at the California Breeders Champion Stakes.

Jockey Garrett Gomez, who Baffert replaced with Leparoux after he finished second on March 9, will be riding Tiz a Minister at the Santa Anita Derby, providing a bit of intrigue to the matchup.

In seven starts last year, Tiz a Minister had five top-three finishes, including a victory at Betfair Hollywood Park in November. He's slotted in the No. 4 post position.