Ron Wood
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When is the 2023 Kentucky Derby Race?
The Kentucky Derby is on Saturday, May 6, at Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky.
2023 Kentucky Derby Post Time
The post time for the 2023 Kentucky Derby is 6:57 pm ET.
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Kentucky Derby Odds – Who is Favorite to Win the KY Derby in 2023?
Forte, trained by Todd Pletcher, is the current favorite to win the Kentucky Derby at 5/1, but not far behind in the betting is his stablemate Tapit Trice at 6/1, along with Angel of Empire for Brad Cox at the same price. Below is a list of each horse running in the Kentucky Derby and their odds from FanDuel.
Forte 5/1
Tapit Trice 6/1
Angel Of Empire 6/1
Two Phil’s 7/1
Derma Sotogake 7/1
Kingsbarns 10/1
Verifying 14/1
Reincarnate 16/1
Mage 19/1
Confidence Game 21/1
Disarm 21/1
Mandarin Hero 28/1
Hit Show 37/1
Sun Thunder 38/1
Rocket Can 38/1
Raise Cain 40/1
Jace’s Road 43/1
Cyclone Mischief 46/1
King Russell 46/1
Read our need-to-know info for the 2023 Kentucky Derby, including TV channel details and how to bet on it
Kentucky Derby 2023 Horses and Runner-by-Runner Guide
There are 19 horses declared to run in the Kentucky Derby, with 4 previous entries already having scratched. Below is the name and number of each horse, as well as a quick guide to how they might perform from our horse racing expert.
1 Hit Show
Both starts this year have come in lesser Graded races over 1m1f at Aqueduct, winning the Withers and a nose 2nd in the Wood Memorial latest. Plenty more is needed to win a Derby.
2 Verifying
Verifying is by Triple Crown winner Justify and a half-brother to champion mare Midnight Bisou. He is progressive, most recently running a neck 2nd to Tapit Trice in the 1m1f Grade 1 Blue Grass at Keeneland. He unseated his rider and got loose on the track on Thursday.
3 Two Phil’s
Won a Grade 3 on this track (sloppy) as a 2-year-old and most recently improved to win a 1m1f AW Grade 3 at Turfway Park. He needs to translate that form back to dirt and others are more appealing.
4 Confidence Game
5 Tapit Trice
An improving off-the-pace runner who has won his last 4 starts, notably the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby and the 1m1f Grade 1 Blue Grass at Keeneland. He is likely to be suited by this stamina test, but lacks early speed.
6 Kingsbarns
Has won all 3 of his races, most recently the 9.5f Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds, but set a slow pace and the time was modest. This will ask much more of him.
7 Reincarnate
Previously trained by Bob Baffert. He ran behind some of these rivals in Graded races at Oaklawn in his last 2 starts, so plenty more is needed.
8 Mage
His 3 starts include eyecatching defeats in Gulfstream Graded races in his last 2, having tough trips. He is still learning but has shown that he has gears; most recently in the 1m1f Grade 1 Florida Derby, when he blew the start before making a huge move from last to lead in the straight. He was reeled in by Forte that day, but with a more complete performance this time, he could be good enough.
11 Disarm
12 Jace’s Road
Finished behind 2 of these rivals in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds latest, but way more is needed.
13 Sun Thunder
Sun Thunder has been behind some of these rivals in Graded company in recent starts, most recently when 4th in the 1m1f Grade 1 Blue Grass at Keeneland. He needs to improve for the application of blinkers.
14 Angel Of Empire
Has a 4-5 record on dirt including winning 1m1f Graded races on his last 2 starts, most recently the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn. He looks like being well suited to this test.
15 Forte
16 Raise Cain
17 Derma Sotogake
18 Rocket Can
21 Cyclone Mischief
22 Mandarin Hero
Had won 4 of 5 in Japan before a nose 2nd in the 1m1f Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby, a race he might have won had he not had to switch with his challenge at the top of the stretch (the winner that day is now a non-runner). The time was good in the context of this race.
23 King Russell
2023 Kentucky Derby Picks, Predictions & Best Bets
The two remaining Japanese runners, Derma Sotogake and MANDARIN HERO, are of most interest. Japan has had a lot of success on the international stage in recent years, notably winning 2 races at the 2021 Breeders’ Cup (1 on dirt, 1 on turf, with an unplaced runner in 2022) and having a combined 15 winners across the last 2 Saudi Cup and Dubai World Cup meetings including both headline races on dirt this year. Their contenders are by US dirt speed influences but with Japanese stamina influences on the female line. It looks the right mix.
Derma Sotogake made all in the UAE Derby and might be the main speed in the race (horses from the UAE Derby forced the quickest-ever Kentucky Derby pace last year), while Mandarin Hero was a keeping-on 2nd in the Santa Anita Derby. Given Derma Sotogake had Gate 1 in Dubai and speed is often favoured around Meydan, there’s a slight doubt as to whether he’s as good as he looked, whereas Mandarin Hero has already shown that he belongs at this level. Mage and Angel Of Empire, in that order, appeal most from the home team.
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