The field is set for the 2023 Kentucky Derby.
Forte, last year’s Champion 2-Year-Old Male, is the morning line favorite for Saturday’s Run for the Roses, which was drawn Monday at Churchill Downs. He’ll head a field of 20 3-year-olds set to go postward for America’s most prestigious horse race.
Note: Get the latest updates and best odds for the 2023 Kentucky Derby here
Morning-line Kentucky Derby odds are now available. Some advance deposit wagering platforms, such as FanDuel Racing, will have wagering available before Saturday.
| Position | Horse | Opening Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hit Show | 30-1 |
| 2 | Verifying | 15-1 |
| 3 | Two Phil’s | 12-1 |
| 4 | Confidence Game | 20-1 |
| 5 | Tapit Trice | 5-1 |
| 6 | Kingsbarns | 12-1 |
| 7 | Reincarnate | 50-1 |
| 8 | Mage | 15-1 |
| 9 | Skinner | SCRATCHED |
| 10 | Practical Move | SCRATCHED |
| 11 | Disarm | 30-1 |
| 12 | Jace’s Road | 50-1 |
| 13 | Sun Thunder | 50-1 |
| 14 | Angel of Empire | 8-1 |
| 15 | Forte | 3-1 (Favorite) |
| 16 | Raise Cain | 50-1 |
| 17 | Derma Sotogake | 10-1 |
| 18 | Rocket Can | 30-1 |
| 19 | Lord Miles | SCRATCHED |
| 20 | Continuar | SCRATCHED |
| 21 | Cyclone Mischief | 30-1 |
| 22 | Mandarin Hero | 20-1 |
| 23 | King Russell | 50-1 |
Get more odds information for the 2023 Kentucky Derby
More on the 2023 Kentucky Derby favorite
Forte’s 2022 campaign included three Grade 1 victories at racing’s highest level. After winning the Hopeful at Saratoga and the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland, Forte annexed the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (the division’s most prestigious event).
After a short break, Forte returned to the races with a pair of wins at Gulfstream Park. He romped in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth before overcoming a wide post to take the Grade 1 Florida Derby.
Forte is trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher. Pletcher has two Kentucky Derby wins to his credit, having won in 2010 with Super Saver and in 2017 with Always Dreaming. Forte won’t be Pletcher’s only runner in the race, and one of his main rivals, in fact, is a stablemate.
Tapit Trice, Angel of Empire, others complete Kentucky Derby field
Tapit Trice, another Pletcher trainee, is the second favorite. He’s won back-to-back Kentucky Derby prep races at two different tracks. After winning the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby, he overcame a tough inside post to take the Grade 1 Blue Grass at Keeneland.
Meanwhile, Angel of Empire is one of four Kentucky Derby contenders trained by Louisville native Brad Cox. He captured the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park after winning the Grade 2 Risen Star at Fair Grounds.
There are also two runners coming from Japan, and one is set to see considerable support at the windows. Derma Sotogake led every step of the way in the Grade 2 UAE Derby at Meydan earlier this year. Japanese-bred horses have begun to capture some of the biggest races in the world, including this year’s Grade 1 Dubai World Cup (won by Ushba Tesoro).
What is the Kentucky Derby morning line?
The morning line is an estimate of what the public will bet come post time of a race. Most of the time, these are available two or three days before a race. However, Churchill Downs has made it their practice to release the Kentucky Derby morning line at the post position draw.
These morning lines, of course, do not represent final odds. Odds fluctuate with money put into the pari-mutuel pools, which take bets from track-goers, those at off-track betting locations, and players wagering on ADW platforms up until post time.
The morning line odds also do not reflect a horse’s chance to win, in the eyes of the morning line maker. These merely reflect that employee’s stance on which horse(s) the public is most likely to bet.
How can I bet on the 2023 Kentucky Derby horses?
If you can’t make it to the track, ADW platforms are a good choice. FanDuel Racing, TVG, and other legal horse betting platforms will offer the race and all wagers associated with it. These include more straightforward bets like win, place, and show, as well as bets like exactas, trifectas, and superfectas.
Post time for the Kentucky Derby is 6:57 pm Eastern time. You can watch the race on NBC as part of the network’s national broadcast.
