Mike Smith hugged Dena Glatt in the winner's circle after riding So Happy to victory in the San Vincente Stakes at Santa Anita Park in January, a joyous sign that the unheralded horse trained by her husband, Mark, might be better than expected.
“We were all excited about it,” Smith said. “And then tragedy struck.”
Dena Glatt died of heart failure just over a month later, at the age of 57. Mark now wears a bracelet with some of her ashes in it so “she’ll always be with me.”
So Happy is Mark Glatt's first Kentucky Derby horse in more than 30 years in the business, potentially the second-generation horseman's shining career achievement coming at a time of overwhelming grief.
“Some of it’s amazing. Some of it’s so sad,” Smith said Monday. “It’s just an emotional roller coaster, I can imagine, for Mark. He’s so happy on one hand, and then he’s so sad on the other because Dena’s not with him. But she is. I really feel like she is. I feel her presence, and I know how much she liked this horse.”
Nearly everything about this underdog journey makes So Happy a fan favorite, starting before he was even foaled. Decades ago, longtime breeder Leverett Miller bought his wife, Linda, a filly she named So Divine. He then took a suggestion that one of his mares, So Cunning, would be a good match with sire Runhappy.
“I said ‘OK, we’ll try it,’” recalled Miller, now 94.
The resulting colt was So Happy, initially sold for $12,000 and then $20,000 as a yearling sale as recently as October 2024. Even the $150,000 Glatt paid for him as a 2-year-old in training in March 2025 is a bargain for a thoroughbred of Triple Crown quality.
"The horse doesn’t know what you purchased him for, thank goodness," said Ana Maron, who co-owns the horse with husband Hans and Robert Norman's Norman Stables.
Combining the parents' names along with a joke about Glatt's stoic public disposition led to the moniker So Happy, which is what he has made everyone around him since his first race at Del Mar on Nov. 22. He finished first in a field of 10, leading Smith to wonder: “Who is this guy, man? Where is this coming from?”
Miller said the success was a shocker. Runhappy was a champion sprinter, but So Happy showed he could handle longer distances, which made the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby a realistic possibility. His only loss came March 7, on the five-year anniversary of Linda Miller dying of cancer at age 70.
So Happy is a four-legged piece of the Miller family's legacy.
“It’s hard to put into words, isn’t it?” Leverett said. “He’s so much a part of what we’ve been doing for so many years, me and my wife and my children."
The Miller house was unusually silent when So Happy ran down the stretch in the Santa Anita Derby on April 4, beating Bob Baffert-trained favorite Potente and erasing any doubt about being a Derby contender.
“He proved himself around two turns (and) improved tremendously,” Glatt said. “He was actually pulling away late in the race. You couldn’t say that distance was really a problem for him off of such a strong effort.”
Smith, who at 60 is aiming to become the oldest jockey to win the Kentucky Derby, said he thought Dena Glatt was pushing them along that day. He also does not think anyone has seen the best yet from So Happy, who opened at 15-1 in the field of 20.
“He gets better with each and every race, it seems like, which is good,” Smith said. “He’s not flashy in the morning at all. He kind of just does what he has to do, but, man, when he gets there in the afternoon it’s like he knows the difference between practice and game time."
Hans Maron, who along with his wife started Saints or Sinners racing stable, is accustomed to watching a horse run, talking about it and moving on. So Happy has put he and Ana on a surreal path to Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May that neither could have anticipated.
“This one’s a little different,” Hans said. “It’s been a daily discussion, worry. It’s just a little bit of a journey, but at the same time amazing. The horse has taken us here, we’re super excited and we’re just looking forward to get to the race healthy and sound and just hope he shows up for us.”
Asked what it would mean if So Happy wins the Kentucky Derby, Miller chuckled and pointed out one of the cruel realities of the sport.
“Oh my gosh,” he said. “I certainly wish that a great deal. But I also realize that it’s very unlikely.”
Only one horse will get that honor, and Todd Pletcher-trained Renegade and Brad Cox's Commandment and Further Ado look like better bets. But So Happy has exceeded every expectation so far and, in turn, put Glatt's name on the map.
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, winning the Derby was a dream. If it happens, he'd consider it the biggest thrill of his life behind only his children being born, and So Happy has made it possible.
“He's taken me to my first Kentucky Derby," Glatt said. “He’s been very successful to this point, so, yeah, he’s high on the priority list at the moment.”
The Marons have seen it all, from the time they first became friends to dinner parties and the emotional toll of this past winter, and they get choked up just talking about Dena. For the mom-and-pop-shop owners, this is not only a chance to honor her and celebrate Smith but to show horse racing is accessible.
“Everyone thinks this sport is only for the rich — it’s the sport of kings — but it kind of lets people know that you can also get in the game,” Ana Maron said. “A family can do it. It’s not just for the rich and wealthy. It’s for anybody.”
She doesn't believe in coincidences. She does believe everything happens for a reason.
So Happy encapsulates that, with Dena Glatt perhaps his guardian angel.
“I know that she’s so proud of Mark, and she’d want him to hold his head up and enjoy this: really enjoy it, go out there and see what it’s all about,” Smith said. “He’s finally got one that’s made it there, and I’m so happy for him. Mark, for him, it’s exciting but it’s also sad.”
AP horse racing: https://apnews.com/hub/horse-racing
Kentucky Derby entrant So Happy works out at Churchill Downs Monday, April 27, 2026, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Kentucky Derby entrant So Happy works out at Churchill Downs Monday, April 27, 2026, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Kentucky Derby entrant So Happy works out at Churchill Downs Monday, April 27, 2026, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and King Charles III greeted each other warmly on Tuesday as the monarch began a day of diplomacy in Washington designed to emphasize a bond between the United Kingdom and the United States that is so strong it can withstand the political turmoil of the moment.
Trump welcomed Charles and Queen Camilla to the White House in a ceremony on the South Lawn. The king shook hands with members of Trump's Cabinet before joining the president for a rendition of the national anthem.
The leaders will huddle later in the Oval Office for a meeting that’s closed to the public, reducing the potential for the freewheeling, sometimes controversial meetings with foreign officials that have become routine during Trump’s second term.
Charles will later become the first British monarch to address the U.S. Congress since his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1991. Her speech highlighted the shared history of both countries and the importance of their democratic values, themes Charles will likely reinforce on Tuesday.
Such addresses are an opportunity afforded to only the most prominent world leaders, including Pope Francis, Václav Havel and Winston Churchill. It will likely mark the most extensive public remarks Charles will deliver during a four-day visit to the U.S. that's intended to celebrate the country's 250th anniversary of independence from Britain.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., became the first sitting leader of his chamber to address the U.K. Parliament earlier this year. He attended a garden party with the king in Washington on Monday and said he told him he would be “well received” in Congress.
The visit comes at a challenging moment for U.S.-U.K. relations. Trump’s up-and-down relationship with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has taken a particularly sour turn over the past several months as the Republican president has sought to rally international support for the war in Iran. Trump criticized Starmer, who has largely resisted his overtures, by saying “this is not Winston Churchill that we're dealing with.”
Trump has also imposed tariffs on the U.K. and warned of additional levies despite a Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that has made such unilateral moves more challenging. Trump threatened just last week to slap a “big tariff” on the U.K. if it doesn't scrap a digital services tax on U.S. technology companies.
Trump has more broadly challenged the traditional trans-Atlantic alliance with efforts to annex Greenland and threats to walk away from NATO. He has repeatedly imposed tariffs on and taunted Canada, a member of the British Commonwealth.
Meanwhile, Charles has faced some calls on Capitol Hill to meet with victims of Jeffrey Epstein while he is in the U.S. There's no indication that he will do so even as the scandal involving the convicted sex offender has ensnared his brother, who was arrested in February over misconduct allegations, which he denies.
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., urged the king over the weekend to at least address the issue during his congressional speech.
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York blamed Republican policies on Monday for straining the U.S.-U.K. relationship.
“Hopefully, the king's visit is going to go a long way toward repairing the damage that this administration has done to one of our most important allies in the world,” Jeffries said.
Charles and Camilla arrived at the nation's capital on Monday and held a tea with the president and first lady Melania Trump. The royal couple will continue their U.S. trip later this week with stops in New York City and Virginia.
Associated Press writer Stephen Groves in Washington contributed to this report.
Britain's King Charles III talks President Donald Trump during a State Visit arrival ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla stand on the Blue room Balcony during a State Visit arrival ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump, Britain's King Charles III, first lady Melania Trump and stand on stage during a State Visit arrival ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump greet Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla during a State Visit arrival ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
President Donald Trump, from left, King Charles III, first lady Melania Trump and Queen Camilla stand for the national anthems of their respective countries during an arrival ceremony among others on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
President Donald Trump and Britain's King Charles III are seated on stage during a State Visit arrival ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Staff members prepare the South Lawn before President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump welcome Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla during a State Visit arrival ceremony at White House, Tuesday, April 28, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
President Donald Trump and Britain's King Charles III turn to walk into the White House, Monday, April 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump greet King Charles III and Queen Camilla as they arrive at the White House, Monday, April 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon).
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump along with Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla walk on the South Lawn to visit the White House garden and bee hive at the White House, Monday, April 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool)
President Donald Trump and Britain's King Charles III talk at the White House, Monday, April 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon).
House Speaker Mike Johnson of La., talks with Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and her husband Paul before Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive at a garden party at the British Embassy, Monday, April 27, 2026, in Washington. (Roberto Schmidt/Pool via AP)
Britain's King Charles III talks with White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller during a garden party at the British Embassy, Monday, April 27, 2026, in Washington. (Roberto Schmidt/Pool via AP)
Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla arrive at a garden party at the British Embassy, Monday, April 27, 2026, in Washington. (Roberto Schmidt/Pool via AP)
