The 2023 Kentucky Derby is set for Saturday, May 6 with a post time of 6:57 p.m. at Churchill Downs in Kentucky. The iconic Run for the Roses is the first of the Triple Crown races, and this year will mark the 149th edition of the event.
Florida Derby winner Forte is the current betting favorite with 3-1 odds, followed by Tapit Trice at 5-1. Both horses are trained by eight-time Eclipse Award winner Todd Pletcher. Angel of Empire, trained by Brad Cox, is the third favorite at 8-1 odds. Four horses trained by Cox will be competing this weekend.
Who wins the Kentucky Derby? And which massive longshot is a must back? Visit SportsLine right now to get Jody Demling's Kentucky Derby picks and see which huge longshot contends, all from the expert who's nailed 10 Derby-Oaks doubles.
Since the race is outdoors, weather conditions always have a large impact on the event. Per Horse Racing Nation, the coldest temperature ever recorded for the Kentucky Derby was 36 degrees in May 4, 1940 and May 4, 1957. The warmest temperature was 94 degrees in May 2, 1959.
While Friday's Kentucky Oaks is likely going to experience some rain, the jury is still out for Saturday. According to AccuWeather, there is "comfortable weather expected for the derby."
Here is a look at the weather predictions for this Saturday:
2023 Kentucky Derby forecast
Service: The Weather Channel
Projected weather: Cloudy
Projected temperatures: High of 77, low of 65 degrees
Race-time projection: 76 degrees
Chance of rain: 1% chance of rain during race time
Service: AccuWeather
Projected weather: Partly sunny
Projected temperatures: High of 77, low of 64
Race-time projection: 75 degrees
Chance of rain: 0% chance of rain during race time
