The Kentucky Derby is the greatest betting race of the year. With 20 horses going a mile and a quarter, further than any of them have ever gone, it is a handicapping puzzle that rewards anyone who is correct with a huge payout. This is the place to find out the best places to bet the Kentucky Derby online in Louisiana, and get expert insight on the right horses to bet!
The first jewel of the 2023 Triple Crown is coming up on Saturday, May 6: the Kentucky Derby! The race is the most important betting race all year: with 20 of the best three-year-olds going 1 ¼ miles on the Churchill Downs dirt, the excitement is unmatched and the payouts will be huge! Whether you play thoroughbred horse races all the time or once a year, you can’t miss the Run for the Roses!
This is the place to find out the best horses in the 2023 Kentucky Derby, as well as the best places to bet horse racing online in Louisiana!
The best way to be a part of the Kentucky Derby action is to play the race on a trusted online horse betting site! All of our recommended racebooks give Louisiana-based players the basics of a great wagering experience: market-leading odds, trusted payouts, and a smooth user interface. Unlike at the track, where you don’t know your odds until post time, you can lock in the best odds online when you place your bet!
Our recommended sites also offer online betting bonuses that you’ll never find at the track, like horse racing rebates, deposit bonuses, and sign-up bonuses. Taking a few minutes now to read our reviews and choose the best bonuses for how you like to play can mean hundreds or even thousands of extra dollars in your bankroll!
Kentucky Derby Contenders
The official field for the 2023 Kentucky Derby with post positions, jockeys and trainers, and morning lines is:
Cyclone Mischief, Mandarin Hero, and King Russell will only draw in, in that order of priority, if horses scratch from the main field before 9:00 a.m. Friday morning, when Kentucky Derby betting begins.
Remember that the Kentucky Derby morning line is just the track’s best guess about what the odds will look like on race day. Your best bet in the Kentucky Derby is to bet online, where you can lock in the price the moment you place your wager. These are the prices on leading contenders at top online racebooks:
Since the advent of the points system the favorite has never been out of the superfecta, and Forte has a strong chance to keep that trend going. Not only was he a shoo-in for champion juvenile last year, he has carried that momentum through two prep race wins this year, including a huge late run to catch Mage in the Florida Derby. He may want a bit more pace to chase, but he is all class.
The most interesting of the shorter-priced horses, and a strong key for Kentucky Derby wagers, is Tapit Trice. He drew a tough rail draw in a well-subscribed Blue Grass, and yet was able to break better, get in the clear, and run down the pace-advantaged Verifying to take top honors. That shows the maturity he needs in Kentucky, and his pedigree is all stamina to boot.
Practical Move also merits some consideration. The leader of the West Coast Kentucky Derby prospects, he had to work for his nose score over Mandarin Hero in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) but showed the toughness that could serve him well in the Derby. With a tactical-speed trip looking like the right one in Kentucky, and plenty of stamina on the dam’s side, he fits well.
In a Kentucky Derby with a lot of good horses but no single standout, it is a great year to side with a strong long shot in the win pool, and Mage has what it takes to be an excellent Kentucky Derby price play. Though he is lightly raced, his Florida Derby allays those concerns a lot: he was taken out of his more natural forward style, and still closed from far off of the pace and only missed by a length to Forte.
That shows maturity and adaptability well beyond his three starts. And, if he starts better, he could get a tracking trip that should work out very well given the likely contenders. Finally, his pedigree appeals strongly: he is by Good Magic out of the stoutly-bred Big Brown daughter Puca, meaning the Derby distance should not foil him.
Even though Two Phil’s took his final prep on the synthetic surface at Turfway Park, his win marks him an interesting Kentucky Derby contender. He is a late runner who does not have to drop as far back as the deep closers. And, even though that was not on dirt, he is a Grade 3 winner at Churchill Downs who held his own on the Louisiana spur of the prep trail. Two Phil’s looks to be getting good at the right time.
Derma Sotogake also deserves a look because he has a good chance to buck the trend of UAE Derby horses disappointing in the Kentucky Derby. Horses from Japan doing so well on major race days is part of it, but not all of it. He is getting better as the distances get longer, and since dirt speed from Japan has proven good enough to keep up with dirt speed from the US, he should get a good forward trip.
Now that you have your wagering account set up and have gotten to know the leading contenders, it is time to play the Run for the Roses! These are the expert best bets for the 2023 Kentucky Derby:
The Triple Crown series begins Saturday, May 4 with the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs! The most famous horse race in America celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2024, and 20 […]
A familiar name from the 2016 Kentucky Derby trail is expected to go the gate for the Super Derby, as Mo Tom has been made the 7-5 favorite in the morning line.
On Friday at Churchill Downs, the graded stakes action will begin with the $300,000 La Troienne Stakes. Restricted to fillies and mares, the Grade 1 will be contested at a mile and a sixteenth and has drawn a field of seven.
On Sunday at Aqueduct, the featured race is the $200,000 Distaff Handicap. Restricted to fillies and mares, the Grade 3 event will be held at seven furlongs on the main track and has drawn a field of seven.
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