So Happy’s trainer, Mark Glatt, has had a year full of ups and downs after the surprising death of his wife, Dena Glatt. Mark’s wife died unexpectedly on February 12, 2026, just months before the Kentucky Derby.
So Happy would go on to have a magical run all the way to Churchill Downs as Mark achieved his highest professional achievements without his wife by his side to celebrate.
According to Today.com, Dena’s cause of death was heart failure as Mark’s wife died at the age of 57, a surprise to her friends and family. Mark labeled So Happy’s win at the Santa Anita Derby as his biggest victory as a horse trainer, but it was bittersweet without Dena at the race.
“It’s not the same, I can’t help wishing she was here,” Glatt told NBC after the Santa Anita win in April. “It’s been the hardest thing I’ve ever had to deal with in my life.
“She was always right by my side and supported me. … It’s just a very big void in the day.”
Here’s what you need to know about So Happy’s trainer.
So Happy’s Jockey, Mike Smith, on Trainer, Mark Glatt’s Wife, Dena: ‘She Would Want Him to Enjoy This’
So Happy’s jockey is the legendary Mike Smith. The horse heads into the Kentucky Derby as one of the top contenders thanks in part to the trainer and jockey combo.
Mike believes that he received a bit of help on the saddle from Dena at the end of the Santa Anita Derby.
“I called on Dena at the 8th pole. I said, oh, pick us up, man,” Mike told FanDuel Racing in an April 22, interview. “Pick us up and get us home, and he just took off, man.
“And when I pulled up, that’s the first thing I did. I looked to the skies and just wanted to look up there and tell her we did it, you know. … She (Dena) would want him to enjoy this, man. She would want him to ride this thing through its fullest. It’s going to be tough on him, but he’s got a chance to run extremely well.”
Mark Glatt’s Wife, Dena Glatt, Died on February 12, Just Months Before So Happy Would Race at the Kentucky Derby
So Happy’s owners are Hans and Ana Maron, who operate Saints or Sinners stables. Mark is at his first Kentucky Derby as memories of his late wife, Dena, loom large over the race at Churchill Downs.
“I hadn’t won a Santa Anita Derby,” Mark explained to FanDuel Racing. “It was my first one. So that was very thrilling and exciting. But we were missing my wife.
“My wife passed away a couple months ago, and she was always by my side. It was bittersweet because she wasn’t here to share my biggest career win.”
Mike has hinted that this could be his last Kentucky Derby and winning at Churchill Downs to honor Dena would be quite a script to end his career. Mark’s ability to train So Happy while battling grief continues to be an inspiration to horse racing fans.
So Happy’s Trainer Mark Glatt’s Wife Dena’s Cause of Death Came as Surprise