Horse Racing takes the center of the sports world, with the 149th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs running on Saturday. Twenty more horses are looking for glory, and millions are looking for payday by wagering on the race. Last year provided the Cinderella story of the ages, with a horse not even originally in the race — Rich Strike — winning. Don’t expect to see something like that this year or ever again, but there is still plenty to cover for 2023 Kentucky Derby bets.
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Best 2023 Kentucky Derby Bets & Predictions
No. 5 Tapit Trice (5-1 Win Odds) – Jockey: Luis Saez
Tapit Trice is the horse most ready to take down the favorite in Forte and should be considered a legit contender in this spot. If the name didn’t give it away, this is a son of Tapit and a horse that showed a ton of promise in the lead-up races, including a win in the Blue Grass Stakes. Tapit Trice seems to be getting better with every start and will not mind the distance here. The biggest concern is probably the speed upfront, or lack thereof, which could make it harder to come off the pace if that’s the trip he gets. Either way, if Tapit Trice win odds sit at 5-1 around post time, that’s a price to bet.
2023 Kentucky Derby Bet: Tapit Trice to Win
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No. 10 Practical Move (10-1 Win Odds) – Jockey: Ramon Vazquez
Practical Move was out west at Santa Anita winning their Derby and has speed figures that can be competitive with anyone in this field. There is not much to be concerned about outside the distance, which is one of the many wild cards this race throws. Practical Move is absolutely in the discussion of horses who can deal with Forte, but this horse is better for exotics than straight win wagers. He is a good option for exactas and trifectas since he has a great shot to factor into the mix.
Update: Practical Move has been scratched due to a temperature, so he is out of the race. This removes him from the exacta, but Tapit Trice and Angel of Empire are still available, and there are plenty of horses to add into the mix. If looking for at third horse for this exacta box, Mage (14-1 win odds) is a reasonable price and battled with Forte when they met up earlier this year.
2023 Kentucky Derby Bet: Exacta Box — Tapit Trice/Mage/Angel of Empire
No. 2 Verifying (15-1 Win Odds) – Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione
It wouldn’t be a Kentucky Derby betting article without a longshot pick, and Verifying is worth a look at potentially long odds. He was 15-1 on the morning line but easily could drift 20-1 or more by the time the race goes off. The first thing is he drew an inside 2-hole position, which means he has to break quickly or risk being completely boxed out.
Besides the bad post, Verifying’s sire is Justify, who won the Triple Crown in 2018. Add in he fought hard in the Blue Grass, losing to Tapit Trice, and that’s a quality race despite the defeat. He will need a huge effort here to win but could factor in and be among the leaders early in the race. Look for either an underneath play or a bet across the board (win/place/show) to allow some extra outs.
2023 Kentucky Derby Bet: Verifying Win/Place/Show
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