149th Run for the Roses

The Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 6, 2023, is getting ready to go in its final stages. Of all the horses participating in the Kentucky Derby there are only 3 of the competitors that taken more than $1 million in winnings prior to the race. Todd Pletcher, who is a famous trainer, has Forte falling into this category. Also, Angel of Empire trained by Brad Cox and Derma Sotogake the Japanese horse is known for finishing in first place in the 2023 Road to the Kentucky Derby. This amazing competitor can boast of $2.36 million in earnings.

Trainer Todd Pletcher has three horses in the race, however only one offering him the chance of an important title. We are talking about Forte. If Forte wins the race, Pletcher will have the opportunity to become the eighth trainer in history with 3 victories in the Kentucky Derby. The Kentucky Derby odds, Forte is the favorite at 5-2. The other two competitors that Pletcher has in the race are Tapit Trice and Kingsbarns who are 11-1 both.

A stalwart of the horse racing industry who has covered races for years through writing, interviews, and wagering, Demling enters the 2023 Kentucky Derby having correctly predicted the winner of the Belmont Stakes four out of the past five years, including an exacta in 2022 with Mo Donegal and Nest. Also correctly predicted was Flightline’s victory at the Breeders’ Cup Classic in November.

The biggest horse races in the world, including the Kentucky Derby 2023, are where Demling shines. In fact, at Churchill Downs, he has made 10 of the previous 14 Derby-Oaks doubles. In the previous 14 years, he had a ticket that had the winners of both races all but four times. In addition, he accurately predicted the winners of the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and the 2022 Preakness triple. He has correctly predicted nine out of the previous 18 Preakness winners.

Top Kentucky Derby predictions for 2023

Demling’s unexpected Kentucky Derby choice for 2023 is: Even though Forte is the clear favorite to win the 2023 Kentucky Derby and has won five straight races, he is weakening. Forte’s credentials are unquestionable because he has previously won four Grade 1 races and five graded stakes races. He had to run down Mage late in the Florida Derby since it was his biggest challenge to that far.

The racing distance, the number of horses in the track and the ultra-high speed that these horses run at can all represent possible problematic scenarios for Forte. Forte sire and mother never ran over 9 furlongs during the time that they raced. When he won the Fountain of Youth as a three-year-old, Forte’s best Beyer Speed Figure was 98. Three-year-olds have achieved 11 faster speed records this year, though. Visit SportsLine to find out which other 2023 Kentucky Derby horses should steer clear of.

Another surprise: Demling likes Two Phils, despite the fact that he’s a long shot at 21-1. Anyone searching for a big payoff will pursue him. Back in July at Colonial Downs Hard Spun broke his maiden and later proceeded to win Canterbury Parks 2022 Shakopee Juvenile Stakes. He won the 2022 Street Sense after a poor seventh-place finish at the 2022 Breeders’ Futurity.

As a three-year-old, he had three races and finished second at Lecomte, third at the Risen Star, and first at the Jeff Ruby Steaks. He also recorded a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 101, which places him second among all three-year-olds this season. That was on a synthetic surface, but he has seven career starts on dirt to back up that statistic. As a result, after finishing sixth in the Road to the Kentucky Derby rankings, he is seeming to be a phenomenal value. Visit SportsLine to find out which other horses to back.

Big Payouts Expected

Although Forte is favorite Tapit Trice, All Other 3-Year Olds and Instant Coffee are following up close so since there is not likely to be an overwhelming favorite this year in Kentucky Derby betting you can count on some big payoffs. Gamblers will be looking at the exacta, trifecta and superfecta to hit the big score. Last year it was Rich Strike winning the race as a choice nobody even thought of. Even with three of the logical contenders coming in first, second and third, the trifecta still paid out over $1,168 dollars for a $1 bet and the $1 superfecta paid out over $101,000.

Full Field Expected

It is said that this will be one of the most exciting Kentucky Derby’s yet. According to the top handicappers of horseracing betting, Two Phil is coming in as a long shot and anyone how is looking for a huge payday should pick him. He is trained by Larry Rivelli who has a record of 1800 races won in his entire career. This stunning thoroughbred beauty is the son of Hard Spun, who in 2007 was top four in all the Three Triple Crown Races. Having said this, this year’s Run for the Roses will make history without a doubt as one of the toughest calls in horseracing betting.