The Kentucky Derby 2023 is scheduled for May 7th, 2023.
However, there are already several horses that are expected to be favorites for when the race is finally run.
Find out who made the list of the potential entries and read our betting guide below.
Best Kentucky Derby Betting Offers
If you want to take advantage of the best Kentucky Derby betting promotions, we recommend you to head over to TVG and grab their sign up bonus. Besides that, TwinSpires, 4NJBets, and AmWager also have welcome bonuses of their own. We recommend that you check all of them out and see which one fits you the most.
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Betting on the Kentucky Derby Online
As with any horse race, the thrill is in trying to pick a winner and the Kentucky Derby odds will always be hotly debated before the big race with many searching for Kentucky Derby predictions to see if they could get one step ahead with some insider information.
Thankfully, there are many great websites that are going to be able to show you the Kentucky Derby odds and they should also show you the key information too. This includes weight, specific age, and also the horse’s form to help with your Kentucky Derby predictions.
Best Horse Racing Betting Websites
When it comes to Kentucky Derby picks, you will always have those who will simply pick their favorite name out of the horses available and those who study key statistics to see which horse has the best chances of winning. All it takes is a free sign-up to a horse racing site and you will be able to cheer on the horse that you have chosen in your Kentucky Derby betting. If you’re not one of the 150,000 people in the crowd, it’s the best way to get involved as you cheer for your favorite horse on your TV.
Kentucky Derby betting is a tradition for many people who only ever bet on the year’s biggest races. For horse racing fans, it’s a highlight in their calendar and a chance to see a horse they’ve followed for a while, have a shot at the Derby, and start off the road to Triple Crown glory.
Whatever KY Derby picks you to have, hopefully, you can enjoy the race. Also, maybe by the time the Preakness Stakes happen two weeks later, you will be able to cheer the same horse onto glory. Kentucky Derby betting comes with a very long tradition and it is a memorable race and a must-see part of the American sporting calendar.
Kentucky Derby Entries 2023
To qualify for the Kentucky Derby, horses must compete in a series of races around the world known as the Road to the Kentucky Derby. Horses who finish as top-4 in the races earn points, and the 20 horses with the most points will get to run in the Derby come May.
The list of the 2021 Kentucky Derby entries included some very interesting additions. As far as this year goes, the contending horses and their jockeys are geared and ready toward attaining glory and winning to crown.
- Epicenter
- White Abarrio
- Tiz the Bomb
- Cyberknife
- Crown Pride
- Simplification
- Classic Causeway
- Slown Down Andy
- Barber Road
- Un Ojo
- Forbidden Kingdom
- Morello
- Zozos
- Summer is Tomorrow
- Charge It
- Tawny Port
- Smile Happy
- Pioneer of Medina
- Grantham
- Rich Strike
- Rattle N Roll
- Ethereal Road
- Bye Bye Bobby
- In Due Time
- Zandon
- Mo Donegal
- Dash Attack
- Early Voting
- Call Me Midnight
- Happy Jack
Kentucky Derby Futures
Even before the race, there are opportunities to engage in betting with the Kentucky Derby Futures. With those, bettors can wager and which horse they think will make it to the Derby.
Usually, there are four different pools for the Kentucky Derby Futures, with 24 betting options and odds. You can place your Kentucky Derby Future Bets with TVG, 4NJBets, TwinSpires, or PABets. Each of these operators takes care of updating the odds and their betting options as thoroughly as possible.
Best Kentucky Derby Picks and Predictions
After last year’s Kentucky Derby results, many are speculating which horse will emerge and be the next star, and a possible Triple Crown winner. To do that though, you have to win the first race and many trainers will be hoping that they have the perfect horse.
Last year, we had a controversial decision as Medina Spirit, a horse trained by Bob Baffert and jockeyed by John Velazquez, crossed the line first but was subsequently disqualified due to testing positive for banned substances. Therefore, the title of the 2021 Kentucky Derby winner was given to Mandaloun, owned by Brad Cox and jockeyed by Florent Geroux.
Kentucky Derby 2021 Recap
In case you missed betting on the Kentucky Derby 2019 race, here is what happened. Essential Quality entered the race as a heavy favorite as he entered the race undefeated in all five of the previous starts. Essential Quality actually trains at the Churchill Downs and had previously won a race at the track, which basically meant having home advantage.
The main rivals and heavy contenders included Rock Your World, Known Agenda, and Hot Rod Charlie. However, Medina Spirit, the horse that finished second at Santa Anita Derby, finished the race first.
However, it all ended with a bit of a downer as Medina Spirit was subsequently disqualified due to the usage of a banned substance named betamethasone. For that reason, the title of the 2021 Kentucky Derby was given to the next horse in line, in this case, Mandaloun. Originally, Mandaloun finished second by a half-length after Medina Spirit.
Kentucky Derby Betting Odds 2023
As far as this year goes, the 2023 Kentucky Derby enters with Smile Happy, Forbidden Kingdom, and Epicenter being the main favorites. But as always, anything can happen once the race starts, and literal dark horses may take center stage after it is all said and done.
| Position | Horse | Odds* |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smile Happy | 6-1 |
| 2 | Forbidden Kingdom | 7-1 |
| 3 | Epicenter | 8-1 |
| 4 | Morello | 10-1 |
| 5 | Mo Donegal | 12-1 |
| 6 | Simplification | 12-1 |
| 7 | Zandon | 12-1 |
| 8 | White Abarrio | 15-1 |
| 9 | Classic Causeway | 15-1 |
| 10 | Emmanuel | 15-1 |
| 11 | Rattle N Roll | 20-1 |
| 12 | Early Voting | 30-1 |
| 13 | In Due Time | 30-1 |
| 14 | Pioneer of Medina | 30-1 |
| 15 | Charge It | 30-1 |
| 16 | Call Me Midnight | 50-1 |
| 17 | Barber Road | 50-1 |
| 18 | Cyberknife | 50-1 |
| 19 | Ethereal Road | 50-1 |
| 20 | Major General | 50-1 |
| 21 | Shipsational | 50-1 |
| 22 | Un Ojo | 50-1 |
| 23 | Zozos | 50-1 |
| 24 | All other three-year-olds | 6-1 |
About Kentucky Derby Horse Racing
The Kentucky Derby is run on the first Saturday of May at the Churchill Downs racetrack in Louisville. It’s the first race that forms a part of that famous Triple Crown along with the Preakness Stakes which happens on the third Saturday in May and the Belmont Stakes which happens the Saturday after.
Naturally, it’s an exciting time in the horse racing season, especially with Kentucky Derby betting. Likewise, it is also a challenging time for the horses involved with many of them running in the three big events in just four weeks. The Kentucky Derby is the youngest of the three races. However, it’s the only one that has run continuously since its inception in 1875.
It was originally run over one and a half miles but that was shortened to its current distance of a mile and a quarter in 1896. Since 1975, the field has been set at 20 horses with eligible horses used in backup. The race sometimes runs with fewer horses, though, as it did in 2015 when four horses withdrew leaving a total of 18 in the Derby results.
Kentucky Derby and the Triple Crown
This makes it the largest field of the three Triple Crown races as Preakness runs with 14 and Belmont runs with 16. The KY Derby is often rated as the most famous race in the world and is the most prestigious leg of the Triple Crown.
The race often attracts over 150,000 fans who come to watch the race which usually lasts for around two minutes, giving it an unofficial nickname of The Most Exciting Two Minutes In Sports. It doesn’t take long to see if your Kentucky Derby tips have turned out to be good or bad. It also has an official nickname, the Run Of The Roses, on account of the flower that is draped over the winner.
It’s a Grade I stakes race and is only eligible for three-year-old thoroughbreds, meaning a horse is never able to defend the win. Colts and geldings are allowed to carry 126 pounds with fillies carrying 121 pounds, with only three fillies winning the cup in its history.
Kentucky Derby 2023 FAQ
Find out some answers to the most commonly asked questions about the race below.
