Looking Forward to the 2023 Kentucky Derby

This year's Kentucky Derby will be run Saturday, May 6, at Churchill Downs outside of Louisville, Kentucky, with a start time set at 6:45 p.m. (EDT) - or at 4:45 MDT.  A field of 20 3-year-old Thoroughbred colts will contend the  one and one-quarter mile race over the main dirt track for the 149th time.  All colts will carry 126 pounds, including their jockeys.

   The traditional qualifying factor for a horse to compete in the Kentucky Derby was, for many years, the grand total of their earnings in graded Stakes races.  In recent years, Churchill Downs refined the classic earnings method to a points system, based on traditional prep races leading up to the first Saturday in May.

   Beginning in 2013, the Kentucky Derby prep races were officially bundled together under the title of "The Road to the Kentucky Derby."  Now there are four sub-groups under the main umbrella, and the top five finishers are awarded a set number of points, depending on the race; two of the sub-groups are located outside the continental United States.  The first sub-group is the Kentucky Derby Prep Season, with 21 races.  The second sub-group is the Kentucky Derby Championship Series, with 16 races included.  The third sub-group is the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby, with 4 races.  (The horse with the highest number of points in the Japan race series is granted automatic entry into the Kentucky Derby.)  And the last sub-group is the Europe Road to the Kentucky Derby, with 7 races held in Ireland, Great Britain, and France.

   Usually, the winner of the 2022 Breeders Cup Juvenile is the betting favorite prior to the actual running of the Kentucky Derby the following May.  Forte won the BC Juvenile, and he is the colt with the most points in the current standings.  He is also the 3 to 1 betting favorite at the moment.

Forte, by Violence out of Queen Caroline

   Following is a list of the top 32 points-earners at this point in time - 11 April 2023:

1    Forte     190 points

2    Practical Move     160 points

3    Angel of Empire     154 points

4    Tapit Trice     150 points

5    Two Phil's     123 points

6    Lord Miles     105 points

7    Derma Sotogake (JPN)     100 points

8    Kingsbarns     100 points

9    Raise Cain     64 points

10  Rocket Can     60 points

Practical Move, by Practical Joke out of Ack Naughty

11  Hit Show     60 points

12  Confidence Game     57 points

13  Verifying     54 points

14  Sun Thunder     54 points

15  Wild On Ice     50 points

16  Mage     50 points

17  Blazing Sevens     46 points

18  Reincarnate     45 points

19  Jace's Road     45 points

20  Skinner     45 points

Angel of Empire, by Classic Empire out of Armony's Angel

21  Cyclone Mischief     45 points

22  Dura Erede (JPN)     40 points

23  Major Dude     40 points

24  King Russell     40 points

25  Disarm     40 points

26  Mandarin Hero (JPN)     40 points

27  Arctic Arrogance     36 points

28  Red Route One     33 points

29  Instant Coffee     32 points

30  Funtastic Again     30 points

Tapit Trice, by Tapit out of Danzatrice

31  Continuar (JPN)    30 points

32  Dreamlike     30 points

   I continued this down through 32 because the last 3 colts all have 30 points each.  Only 20 horses (or less) will enter the starting gate on 6 May.  The top 20 point earners, barring injury or illness, are expected to start the race.  There are usually 2 or 3 horses on what I call "the waiting list," in case there is a scratch in the days between the Post Position Draw and the morning of the race itself.  

   Once the Post Positions are drawn, and morning line betting odds are posted, I will post those, with update information.

   Just two tidbits of trivia here at the last:  The 32 colts with the top point earnings represent 21 stallions; Into Mischief, Good Magic and Gun Runner each sired 3 of the 32; while Violence, Curlin, Candy Ride, and Bolt d'Oro each sired 2 of the group.

   The 32 colts are trained by 22 different trainers.  The trainers with multiple horses in the top 32 are: Todd Pletcher with 5; Brad Cox with 5; Steve Asmussen with 2; and Tim Yakteen with 2.