The Todd Pletcher-trained Tapit Trice can go into the Kentucky Derby as one of the favorites if he can emerge victorious in the 2023 Blue Grass Stakes on Saturday at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky. A $1.3 million purchase two years ago, Tapit Trice already has risen to third in early Kentucky Derby odds, behind only Forte and Kingsbarns. A win on Saturday would only strengthen his case to be one of the favorites. Tapit Trice is the 5-2 morning-line favorite in the 2023 Blue Grass Stakes odds. The Brad Cox-trained Verifying is second in the odds at 3-1 in the 11-horse Blue Grass Stakes 2023 field, while Raise Cain (9-2), Blazing Sevens (6-1) and Sun Thunder (10-1) round out the top five in the odds.
Post time for the $1 million Blue Grass Stakes 2023 is 5:15 p.m. ET. With several lightly raced 3-year-olds set to enter the starting gate on Saturday, you'll want to see what racing insider and Beyer Speed Figure maker Bob Weir has to say before making any 2023 Blue Grass Stakes picks.
A member of the Beyer Speed Figure-making team who is based in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Weir is a two-time qualifier for the prestigious National Horseplayers Championship in Las Vegas. He has produced multiple five-figure days at the track over the years, including a $60,000 Pick 6 at Del Mar in 2014.
Last year he was red-hot in the Triple Crown prep races, hitting the superfecta in the Blue Grass Stakes for $1,678 and exactas in the Fountain of Youth Stakes and Tampa Bay Derby. He also hit the 19-1 winner of the Man o' War Stakes, the trifecta in the Pegasus World Cup, the superfecta in the Met Mile and multiple Pick 4s, including May 14's at Belmont for $1,851.
And last week he hit the late Pick 4 on Saturday at Gulfstream Park for $641 and the exacta in the Florida Derby for $78.
For Saturday, he has handicapped the 2023 Blue Grass Stakes lineup, made his picks and constructed his bets. See his picks at SportsLine.
Top 2023 Blue Grass Stakes predictions
One surprise: Weir is fading 5-2 morning-line favorite, Tapit Trice. A son of Tapit, one of the country's most influential sires, Tapit Trice likes to run from off the pace. After finishing third in his debut, he has reeled off three straight wins since, including a two-length victory in the Tampa Bay Derby in his last start.
But Weir did not like how Tapit Trice looked in winning that most recent race. "Considering the field he faced at Tampa and the fact that he looked beaten for about 90% of that race with jockey Luis Saez in full-drive mode for over half a mile, I'm inclined to take a stand against him," Weir told SportsLine. Weir prefers three horses over Tapit Trice in his 2023 Blue Grass Stakes bets. See who they are at SportsLine.
How to make 2023 Blue Grass Stakes picks
Instead, Weir's top pick is a double-digit longshot who is "the most interesting horse in the race." He also is high on another double-digit longshot who has "done little wrong on the track." He's sharing which horses to back only at SportsLine.
So what double-digit longshot wins the Blue Grass Stakes 2023? What other double-digit longshot is a must-back? And how has Weir constructed his wagers? Check out the latest Blue Grass Stakes odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Weir's picks for the Blue Grass Stakes, and find out.
2023 Blue Grass Stakes odds
| Prg # | Horse | Odds | Projection |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tapit Trice | 5-2 | SEE PICKS |
| 2 | Clear the Air | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 3 | Verifying | 3-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 4 | Classic Car Wash | 12-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 5 | Hayes Strike | 15-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 6 | Scoobie Quando | 15-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 7 | Sun Thunder | 10-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 8 | Blazing Sevens | 6-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 9 | Major Blue | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 10 | Raise Cain | 9-2 | SEE PICKS |
| 11 | Mendelssohns March | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
