The eyes of the horse racing world will be on Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 6, as the 149th edition of the prestigious Kentucky Derby is staged.
The race is the first leg of North America’s Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, with the line-up completed over the next few weeks by the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes.
Read on as we look at the 2023 Kentucky Derby including the horses, latest form, odds, futures and how to watch.
Kentucky Derby 2023 Form
Here is a look at how the 2023 Kentucky Derby runners performed on their most recent outing:
- Forte – Todd Pletcher – 1st, Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park.
- Tapit Trice – Todd Pletcher – 1st, Blue Grass Stakes (G2) at Keeneland.
- Angel of Empire – Brad Cox – 1st, Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park.
- Derma Sotogake – Hidetaka Otonashi – 1st, UAE Derby (G3) at Meydan Race Course.
- Practical Move – Tim Yakteen – 1st, Santa Anita Derby (G1) at Santa Anita.
- Kingsbarns – Todd Pletcher – 1st, Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds.
- Two Phil’s – Larry Rivelli – 1st, Jeff Ruby Stakes (G3) at Turfway Park.
- Mage – Gustavo Delgado – 2nd, Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream Park.
- Verifying – Brad Cox – 2nd, Blue Grass Stakes (G2) at Keeneland.
- Confidence Game – Keith Desormeaux – 1st, Rebel Stakes (G2) at Oaklawn Park.
- Skinner – John Shirreffs – 3rd, Santa Anita Derby (G1) at Santa Anita.
- Disarm – Steve Asmussen – 3rd, Lexington Stakes (G3) at Keeneland.
- Hit Show – Brad Cox – 2nd, Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct.
- Lord Miles – Saffie Joseph, Jr – 1st, Wood Memorial Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct.
- Rocket Can – Bill Mott – 4th, Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park.
- Continuar – Yoshito Yahagi – 3rd, UAE Derby (G3) at Meydan Race Course.
- Jace’s Road – Brad Cox – 3rd, Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds.
- Raise Cain – Ben Colebrook – 5th, Blue Grass Stakes (G2) at Keeneland.
- Sun Thunder – Kenny McPeek – 4th, Blue Grass Stakes (G2) at Keeneland.
- Reincarnate – Tim Yakteen – 3rd, Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park.
Kentucky Derby 2023 Odds, Futures
Here are the latest odds for the 2023 Kentucky Derby:
- Forte – 3/1
- Tapit Trice – 5/1
- Angel of Empire – 8/1
- Derma Sotogake – 10/1
- Practical Move – 10/1
- Kingsbarn – 12/1
- Two Phil’s – 12/1
- Mage – 15/1
- Verifying – 15/1
- Confidence Game – 20/1
- Skinner – 20/1
- Disarm – 30/1
- Hit Show – 30/1
- Lord Miles – 30/1
- Rocket Can – 30/1
- Continuar – 50/1
- Jace’s Road – 50/1
- Raise Cain – 50/1
- Sun Thunder – 50/1
- Reincarnate – 50/1
Kentucky Derby 2023 Preview
Trainer Todd Pletcher has a strong hand in the Kentucky Derby, with three of the first six horses in the betting hailing from his stable.
Florida Derby winner Forte is the favourite for the race, while Tapit Trice is also fancied after claiming the Blue Grass Stakes.
With the undefeated Kingsbarns also in the line-up, Pletcher has a good chance of winning the Kentucky Derby for the third time.
A wide post position in 15 makes Forte a risky betting proposition, particularly when you factor in the horse is not guaranteed to stay the trip.
By contrast, Tapit Trice (5) and Kingsbarns (6) have landed favourable draws and could prove to be competitive when the race is run.
Jeff Ruby Stakes winner Two Phil’s is an intriguing proposition from stall three, as he will be able to slot in nicely behind the pace horses.
Angel of Empire could be the value bet in the race after running out a hugely impressive winner of the Arkansas Derby in April.
The Brad Cox-trained horse has won four of his six career starts and looked to be on a steep upward curve at Oaklawn Park.
Post position 14 should be no problem for a horse that looks tailor-made to handle the step up to ten furlongs at Churchill Downs.
Cox won the race for the first time in 2021 with Mandaloun and has another strong contender on his hands this time around.
How to Watch the 2023 Kentucky Derby
If you are located in the United Kingdom, Sky Sports Racing will have full coverage of the Kentucky Derby meeting at Churchill Downs on Saturday.
Subscribers can watch live horse racing streams at no extra cost via the Sky Go app, which can be downloaded on a wide range of digital devices.
Plenty of other streaming platforms will cover the Kentucky Derby, but you will need to use Virtual Private Network (VPN) technology to gain access the content.
One of the most reliable services is Express VPN, which can be downloaded to various devices including Android, iOS, Fire TV, PC, Mac and smart televisions.
Michael specializes in journalism, digital content production and social media management. He has a passion for numerous sports including football, horse racing and ice hockey. Michael currently works on a freelance basis, producing daily content for various outlets within the sports industry.
