We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.
No ad available

2023 Kentucky Derby results, winner: Mage holds off Angel of Empire, Two Phil's to win Run for the Roses

Mage, at 15-1, came from deep in the pack at the top of the stretch for the win

Mage surged late to win the 2023 Kentucky Derby, the prestigious first leg of the Triple Crown, in an official time of 2:01.57. It's the second career win in four starts for Mage (15/1), whose trainer is Gustavo Delgado and jockey is Javier Castellano. 

The race started with Verifying and Kingsbarns battling for the lead, but around the halfway point Mage came from deep in the pack to pass both of them. Mage then held off challenges from Angel of Empire and Two Phil's down the stretch en route to victory, finishing a length ahead of Two Phil's with Angel of Empire another half length behind. 

Castellano explained after the race that his mentality was to "never give up, always try hard, do the right thing," and he saw his horse follow those same virtues. 

"He's got a lot of heart," Castellano said of Mage after the race. "He's a little horse but [has] a big heart."

Mage last appeared in the Florida Derby, pushing Forte -- a Kentucky Derby favorite that was scratched hours before the race -- before losing by only a length. Forte wasn't around to to play spoiler at Churchill Downs, and Mage certainly took advantage. 

The win for Mage is also a win for Venezuela, as it's the home country of both Delgado and Castellano. Delgado, who celebrated the win beside someone waving a Venezuelan flag, reflected on what the Kentucky Derby meant to him when he first arrived to the U.S. 

"When I [came] to the United States, my first dream [was] go to the Kentucky Derby," an emotional Delgado said after the race.

Delgado can now check off his dream and a win to boot.  

Cincinnati businessman Chase Chamberlin leads a group of 382 people who own Mage, and after the race he dedicated the horse's win to a fellow shareholder who died a mere two weeks before at age 38. 

"The dream is alive. This is what horse racing's all about," Chamberlin said. "It's the only animal in the world that could take a million people for a ride all along or in our case, 382."

Skinner, Practical Move, Lord Miles and Continuar were scratched along with Forte, but their absences were far from the biggest story regarding safety at Churchill Downs in the week and hours leading up to the Kentucky Derby. Seven horses died at the Louisville track since April 27, with five coming in the week leading up to the Kentucky Derby while another two were euthanized after suffering injuries hours before post time. 

The Preakness Stakes on May 20 is the next leg of the Triple Crown, but it's unclear whether Mage will take part. Mage has a chance to become the first horse since Justify in 2018 to follow a Kentucky Derby win with a victory at Pimlico Race Course. 

2023 Kentucky Derby results, payouts

8 - Mage WIN: $32.42 PLACE: $14.58 SHOW: $9.08
3 - Two Phil's PLACE: $10.44 SHOW: $6.52
14 - Angel of Empire SHOW: $4.70

$2.00 Exacta 8-3 $330.44
$1.00 Trifecta 8-3-14 $982.36
$1.00 Superfecta 8-3-14-11 $15,643.60  

No ad available
Live updates
 
Pinned
@KentuckyDerby via Twitter
 

Confidence Game (17-1) was purchased for $25,000 in 2021, which makes him the cheapest horse in the field. Confidence Game should have some confidence after winning the Rebel Stakes, his most recent race. To see more about his story, click on Confidence Game's SportsLine profile.

 
@KentuckyDerby via Twitter
 

There has been a tragic string of horse deaths at Churchill Downs in the lead-up to the 149th Kentucky Derby. Since April 27, six horses have died at the track, and two of them collapsed and died mysteriously after races. The latest death occurred after Chloe's Dream suffered an injury during Race 2, just hours before post time for the derby. In light of these recent events, Churchill Downs has launched an investigation into this rash of deaths.

 
@KentuckyDerby via Twitter
 

With the infamous Bob Baffert out of this year's Kentucky Derby -- more on him later -- the trainers to watch are Todd Pletcher and Brad Cox, who've won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Trainer a combined 10 times. As previously mentioned, Cox has four horses competing today, while Pletcher has the betting favorite Forte along with two others. Here's a full list of the jockeys, trainers and owners who hope to come out victorious tonight. 

 
@ChurchillDowns via Twitter
 

A very familiar face to sports fans will be making the famous "Riders Up" call this evening. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has earned the honor, following the footsteps of high-profile athletes and coaches such as Teddy Bridgewater, Sean Payton, Julius Erving, Charlie Strong and John Calipari. 

 
@KentuckyDerby via Twitter
 

Two Phil's (12-1) already has something in common with last year's Kentucky Derby winner, Rich Strike. He is coming off a big win in the Jeff Ruby Steak's. To see more about Two Phil's as he gets set to race at Churchill downs, check out his SportsLine profile.

 
@KentuckyDerby via Twitter
 
@KentuckyDerby via Twitter
 
@ChurchillDowns via Twitter
 

Verifying (16-1) is the son of Justify, the most recent Triple Crown winner in 2018. That is quite the legacy for Verifying, and we'll see whether he can take the first step toward following in his father's footsteps on Saturday. To find out more about Verifying and his career to this point, check out his SportsLine profile.

 
@KentuckyDerby via Twitter
 
@KentuckyDerby via Twitter
 

Hit Show (26-1) is owned by Gary and Mary West, who came incredibly close to getting their first Kentucky Derby win in 2019. It looked like Maximum Security had won before a review disqualified the horse for interference. Can Hit Show get it done today, take a closer look at the horse and its career on SportsLine. 

 

The 2023 Kentucky Derby took a major hit on Saturday morning when reigning 2-year-old champion and morning-line favorite Forte was scratched from the race following a routine pre-race examination because of a bruised hoof. The origin of the injury is unknown, but the horse took a minor stumble during a routine gallop on Thursday morning that was caught by cameras. The video went viral, prompting speculation that the horse would be scratched. The absence of Forte, who was 3-1 on the morning line, means that when the starting gate opens the favorite will likely be either Blue Grass Stakes winner Tapit Trice or Arkansas Derby winner Angel of Empire.  

Which huge longshot hits the board at the Kentucky Derby? Visit SportsLine to see Gene Menez's picks, all from the expert who has nailed six of his last seven races. 

 
@KentuckyDerby via Twitter
 

Don't know what an "EXACTA," "DAILY DOUBLE" or "BET TO SHOW" is? Don't fret, as your friends at CBS Sports broke down those gambling terms along with all the other ones you'll need for the Kentucky Derby. Click here for the full rundown. 

 
@ChurchillDowns via Twitter
 

If you're looking for a winner of today's race, the answer may be less clear than you think: Elite horse racing handicapper Jody Demling is fading one of the favorites in Tapit Trice. For more of Demling's analysis, click here.  

 
@ChurchillDowns via Twitter
 

The 149th running of the Kentucky Derby is set for later today, and if the weather forecast holds, the expected crowd of 150,000 at Churchill Downs should enjoy a dry day. As of Saturday morning, the forecast for Louisville, Ky., calls for partly cloudy skies with the temperature warming to near 80 degrees and no rain. If the forecast is correct, that will make four straight dry Kentucky Derby days after four straight wet Derbies from 2016-19. In the 148 previous runnings of the Run for the Roses, there has been a "fast" track on 103 occasions. The expected fast dry track will be welcomed by the connections of Derby contender Jace's Road, whose two worst career finishes came on a wet track.  

Which huge longshot hits the board at the Kentucky Derby? Visit SportsLine to see Gene Menez's picks, all from the expert who has nailed six of his last seven races. 

 

2023 Kentucky Derby odds

Odds as of 6:57 p.m.

  • Angel of Empire -- 7/2
  • Tapit Trice -- 9/2
  • Derma Sotogake (JPN) -- 8-1
  • Two Phil's -- 9-1
  • Kingsbarns -- 11-1
  • Reincarnate -- 14-1
  • Verifying -- 14-1
  • Mage -- 16-1
  • Mandarin Hero (JPN) -- 18-1
  • Confidence Game -- 20-1
  • Hit Show -- 24-1
  • Disarm -- 26-1
  • Rocket Can -- 27-1
  • Cyclone Mischief - 28-1
  • King Russell -- 31-1
  • Sun Thunder -- 31-1
  • Raise Cain -- 32-1
  • Jace's Road -- 32-1
 
@KentuckyDerby via Twitter
 

If you're one of the many people gambling on today's race, check out the latest odds courtesy of SportsLine. You'll want to keep your eyes locked there throughout the day as the odds are subject to change.  

 
@ChurchillDowns via Twitter
 

The Kentucky Derby is less than seven hours away, so it's time for a refresher on how the post position draw shook out. Hit Show and Verifying -- both trained by Brad Cox, who has four horses competing today -- will take the No. 1 and No. 2 positions, respectively. Here's a look at the entire field which has seen some major shakeups with five horses scratched, including morning line favorite Forte, who was pulled from the race Saturday morning: 

2023 Kentucky Derby post positions and odds

No. 1 post: 1 Hit Show -- 26-1
No. 2 post: 2 Verifying -- 17-1
No. 3 post: 3 Two Phil's -- 7-1
No. 4 post: 4 Confidence Game -- 16-1
No. 5 post: 5 Tapit Trice -- 9/2
No. 6 post: 6 Kingsbarns -- 10-1
No. 7 post: 7 Reincarnate -- 13-1
No. 8 post: 8 Mage -- 17-1
No. 9 post: 11 Disarm -- 24-1
No. 10 post: 12 Jace's Road -- 32-1
No. 11 post: 13 Sun Thunder -- 30-1
No. 12 post: 14 Angel of Empire --9/2
No. 13 post: 16 Raise Cain -- 30-1
No. 14 post: 17 Derma Sotogake (JPN) -- 7-1
No. 15 post: 18 Rocket Can -- 27-1
No. 16 post: 21 Cyclone Mischief -- 33-1
No. 17 post: 22 Mandarin Hero (JPN) -- 21-1
No. 18 post: 23 King Russell -- 32-1
No. 19 post: Vacant
No. 20 post: Vacant

 
@NBCSports via Twitter
 

Welcome to CBS Sports' official live blog for the 2023 Kentucky Derby. We'll keep you updated with the latest news and trends all the way through the race, so grab a mint julep and stick around for the fun. 

3 of 3
No ad available