Now that the calendar has turned to May, it’s time for the Kentucky Derby, which happens on the first Saturday of the month. Also known as the Run for the Roses, this 20-horse race (for 2023) is one of the most widely followed Horse Racing betting events in the world. It is just the first in a series of three races that make up the Triple Crown, along with the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes. You can’t win the Triple Crown without winning the Kentucky Derby, though, so let’s start by looking at some of the top contenders in Saturday’s 1 ¼-mile event.
Horse Racing Betting News: Contenders for the Triple Crown
Forte
is the clear favorite on the basis of his prep race performances. He has won five races in a row, and he had three straight Grade 1 wins in 2022 to garner champion juvenile male awards. His first three-year-old race was a win by 4 ½ lengths at the Fountain of Youth (Grade II) in early March. He is known as a stalker, coming in from the back to win, and he did that at the Florida Derby (Grade I), coming from way back to get the win. Along with Practical Move, Forte is just one of two horses with three straight Brisnet Speed Ratings at or above 100 going into Churchill Downs.Tapit Trice
is another stalker that likes to start off sagging off the pace and then thundering to a win. He has the power and stamina to pull it off, so long that he doesn’t get stuck in traffic and start too slowly. He will have Luis Saez riding, so Saez should be able to keep his horse from too much congestion. His trainer is Todd Pletcher, who has three horses in this field and has trained 62 horses for Churchill Downs overall. Tapit Trice has also won four of the five races he has entered. He would become the first gray horse to win this race since Giacomo did it back in 2005.Angel of Empire
has won four of six races overall, and one of the other two results was a runner-up. He won the Arkansas Derby, a 1 ⅛-mile event that such former Kentucky Derby champions as Curlin and American Pharaoh won en route to Churchill Downs. Angel of Empire has shown considerable closing speed, so staying close to the leaders until the last couple of furlongs will be key. Flavien Prat, who won the 2019 Kentucky Derby after Maximum security was disqualified, has the experience to position Angel of Empire correctly.Need a sleeper pick?
Think about Verifying. He has six starts in 2023 with a pair of wins and a pair of second-place finishes. He was sired by Justify, the 2018 Triple Crown winner. He’s yet another stalker in this race, but he should burst quickly out of the gate and could control the rail. Tyler Gaffalione has the experience to ride Verifying to the shortest road to a win. His top speed is a bit short of some of the rest of the field, but he closes well and has solid stamina.| Pos | Horse | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hit Show | +3000 |
| 2 | Verifying | +1500 |
| 3 | Two Phil’s | +1200 |
| 4 | Confidence Game | +2000 |
| 5 | Tapit Trice | +500 |
| 6 | Kingsbarns | +1200 |
| 7 | Reincarnate | +5000 |
| 8 | Mage | +1500 |
| 9 | Skinner | +2000 |
| 10 | Practical Move | +1000 |
| 11 | Disarm | +3000 |
| 12 | Jace’s Road | +1500 |
| 13 | Sun Thunder | +5000 |
| 14 | Angel of Empire | +800 |
| 15 | Forte | +300 |
| 16 | Raise Cain | +5000 |
| 17 | Derma Sotogake | +1000 |
| 18 | Rocket Can | +3000 |
| 19 | Lord Miles | +3000 |
| 20 | Continuar | +5000 |
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