The 2023 Kentucky Derby is scheduled for a 6:57 p.m. ET post on Saturday at Churchill Downs and Todd Pletcher will be hoping to become just the seventh trainer in history to win the "Run for the Roses" three times. However, he'll have to do it without Florida Derby winner Forte, the one-time race favorite who was scratched on Saturday morning by a state veterinarian. Pletcher will still have two entries in the Kentucky Derby 2023 field with Tapit Trice and Kingsbarns with 18 horses officially entered overall.
Tapit Trice won the 2023 Blue Grass Stakes and is now the 9-2 co-favorite with Angel of Empire in the 2023 Kentucky Derby odds. Kingsbarns didn't make a start as a 2-year-old, but has won all three of his races this season, including the 2023 Louisiana Derby, and he's listed at 9-1 leading into the Kentucky Derby 2023. With so much to consider while making your 2023 Kentucky Derby picks, a little expert help can go a long way.
The 2023 Kentucky Derby field will feature a pair of Japanese horses for the first time in the race's history, with only two Japanese horses having previously run in the Derby. Crown Pride finished 13th last year after winning the UAE Derby while Lani finished ninth in the 2016 Kentucky Derby. Derma Sotogake (7-1) earned his way into the 149th Run for the Roses with his win at the UAE Derby, while Mandarin Hero (21-1), the runner-up at the Santa Anita Derby, joined the field on Thursday as an alternate.
Given all the history, there's a method to picking which horses to focus on for exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets in a Kentucky Derby like this, and SportsLine expert Jody Demling knows what it is. He can help you make the best 2023 Kentucky Derby picks possible.
A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling enters the 2023 Kentucky Derby having nailed the winner of the Belmont Stakes four of the last five years, including an exacta in 2022 with Mo Donegal and Nest. He also nailed Flightline's win at the Breeders' Cup Classic last November.
Demling is at his best in the biggest horse races in the world like the Kentucky Derby 2023. In fact, he has hit 10 of the last 14 Derby-Oaks doubles at Churchill Downs. That means he held a ticket with the winners of both races all but four times in the last 14 years.
He's also called nine of the last 18 Preakness winners, keenly understanding when the Kentucky Derby winner was poised for victory or a massive upset, and nailed the 2022 Preakness trifecta. Anyone who has followed him on those horse racing picks is up huge. Now, he's sharing all of his 2023 Kentucky Derby bets here.
Top 2023 Kentucky Derby expert picks
Here's a refresher on these types of bets from SportsLine's Jody Demling:
Kentucky Derby Exacta: Pick the first- and second-place finishers in the correct order. A $2 exacta returned $4,101.20 at the 2022 Kentucky Derby with Rich Strike and Epicenter.
Kentucky Derby Trifecta: Pick the first-, second- and third-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 trifecta returned $14,870.70 at the 2022 Kentucky Derby with Rich Strike, Epicenter and Zandon.
Kentucky Derby Superfecta: Pick the first-, second-, third- and fourth-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 superfecta returned a colossal $321,500.10 at the 2022 Kentucky Derby with Rich Strike, Epicenter, Zandon and Simplification.
While Demling has no quibbles with the co-favorite status of Angel of Empire (9-2), he plans to hold tickets with Derma Sotogake (7-1) and a massive double-digit underdog who could really spice up the payouts. You can see his picks here.
How to make 2023 Kentucky Derby bets
Demling has specific recommendations for exacta, trifecta and superfecta wagers so you can cover all your bases at the Kentucky Derby 2023. He's sharing them over at SportsLine.
So which horses do you take? And in what combinations? Visit SportsLine to get Demling's picks for exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets for the 2023 Kentucky Derby.
2023 Kentucky Derby odds, futures
| Horse | Odds | Program # | Projection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tapit Trice | 9-2 | 5 | SEE PICKS |
| Angel of Empire | 9-2 | 14 | SEE PICKS |
| Derma Sotogake | 7-1 | 20 | SEE PICKS |
| Two Phil's | 7-1 | 3 | SEE PICKS |
| Kingsbarn | 9-1 | 6 | SEE PICKS |
| Reincarnate | 13-1 | 7 | SEE PICKS |
| Verifying | 16-1 | 2 | SEE PICKS |
| Mage | 17-1 | 8 | SEE PICKS |
| Confidence Game | 17-1 | 4 | SEE PICKS |
| Mandarin Hero | 21-1 | 22 | SEE PICKS |
| Disarm | 25-1 | 11 | SEE PICKS |
| Hit Show | 26-1 | 1 | SEE PICKS |
| Rocket Can | 27-1 | 18 | SEE PICKS |
| Raise Cain | 30-1 | 16 | SEE PICKS |
| Sun Thunder | 30-1 | 13 | SEE PICKS |
| Cyclone Mischief | 31-1 | 21 | SEE PICKS |
| Jace's Road | 32-1 | 12 | SEE PICKS |
| King Russell | 32-1 | 23 | SEE PICKS |
| Forte | SCR | SCR | |
| Practical Move | SCR | SCR | |
| Skinner | SCR | SCR | |
| Lord Miles | SCR | SCR | |
| Continuar | SCR | SCR |
