Who will win Kentucky Derby 2023? See the horses local and national experts are picking
Ryan Black
Twenty horses will bolt out of the starting gate Saturday evening at Churchill Downs in the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby.
Planning to bet, but still unsure which horses to place money on? The Courier Journal asked some horse racing experts for their insight after Monday's draw.
Here are their picks to win this year's Run for the Roses:
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Scott Shapiro, Churchill Downs racing analyst
Winner: Angel of Empire
Comment: "This horse comes out of two impressive wins, one in Louisiana in the Risen Star from way off the pace, and then took a step forward in the Arkansas Derby. Love his running style. Love the way he's trained coming into the race. Think he gets the right trip."
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Winner: Forte
Place: Tapit Trice
Comment: "My Kentucky Derby pick is Forte. And I also Tapit Trice, runner up."
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Kendrick Haskins, WAVE 3 sports director
Winner: Practical Move
Comment: "He's looked great in his last few races. (Trainer) Tim Yakteen is looking for that first win in the Derby — to not only win the Derby for the first time, but to establish himself and come out of Bob Baffert's shadow. I think this will be a big Saturday for Practical Move."
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David Levich, Horse Racing Nation
Winner: Tapit Trice
Comment: "He's a horse that has progressed each and every start. He's shown the ability. Once he gets outside, he has a deadly closing kick. I think it will be a good value with Tapit Trice."
Travis Stone, Churchill Downs track announcer
Winner: Tapit Trice
Comment: "I don't love the post, but I think he's the best horse in the race."
Eric Crawford, WDRB
Winner: Forte
Longshot: Disarm
Comment: "There's nothing exciting about picking the favorite, but I'm going to pick Forte. I always try and look at the race and see who in this field is potentially a lot better than all the others. I think he has a chance to be just that. ... I kind of like Steve Asmussen's Disarm. There's a long shot. I think he'll be running late. I like him."
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Darren Rogers, Churchill Downs senior director of media services
Winner: Forte
Comment: "I think I'm in the minority for a favorite, which seems totally bizarre, but I actually think this has the makings of a one-horse race, I really do. I think he's multiple lengths better than the group. He's a champion 2-year-old who's won four Grade 1 races. The last time we had a Grade 1 quartet (champion) in advance of the Derby was Nyquist back in 2016, and we saw what he did."
Hannah Edelen, Miss Kentucky
Winner: Forte
Comment: "My Derby pick this year is ... Forte."
Gary Graves, Associated Press sports writer
Winner: Forte
Comment: "I know that's really going out on on a limb considering he's been the points leader, but I've had the chance to watch him as a 2-year-old at Keeneland last year during the Breeders' Cup. He was impressive then. He really hasn't let up, and for all the talk about his victory in the Florida Derby, I was really impressed with his win in the Fountain of Youth."
Damon Thayer, Kentucky Senate Majority Leader
Winner: Verifying
Comment: "I think he's got the speed to do it. He's by Justify, who won the Kentucky Derby and the Triple Crown in 2018. He's a half-brother to multiple Grade 1 winner and champion Midnight Bisou. And I think Tyler Gaffalione is going to get him out of the gate from that (No.) 2 post position, and his speed will rule the day."
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Kevin Kerstein, Churchill Downs publicity manager
Winner: Angel of Empire
Comment: "I think he is going to have a perfect post position draw from the 14 hole. I think his odds are going to be right. He seems to be coming into the race in the right direction. His Arkansas Derby was extremely impressive, and as a fellow PA (Pennsylvania) bred, it's hard not to root for the PA bred, Angel of Empire, in this year's Kentucky Derby."
Dominique Yates, WLKY sports reporter
Winner: Tapit Trice
Comment: "Coming in the 5 spot ... is always a good spot, especially for a Hall of Fame trainer like Todd Pletcher. So I think with the odds being 5-1, Tapit Trice is in good position to win this Kentucky Derby race, giving Todd Pletcher Derby victory No. 3."
Dani Busboom Kelly, University of Louisville women's volleyball head coach
Winner: Forte
Long shot: Rocket Can
Comment: "My Derby pick is Forte, the favorite. I heard he looks really great in training. But my long-shot favorite is Rocket Can."
Kaitlin Free, Churchill Downs reporter and analyst
In the money: Kingsbarns, Derma Sotogake and Disarm
Comment: "(Kingsbarns) is a horse that I think is going to have a lot of speed early on. I think he's going to be well within that first, second or third (position). This is a race, unlike last year, where there's not going to be a ton of speed. I do think the pace will be honest, but it's not going to be anything crazy to bring in a (long) shot like we saw with Rich Strike."
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Jennie Rees, Kentucky HBPA communications specialist and writer
Winner: Tapit Trice
On the board: Forte
Long shot: Two Phil’s
Comment: "He cuts quite the picture training. But how do you overlook his stablemate, who is the champion and is the favorite, Forte? There is one horse, though, that worries me, and that's Two Phil's, because it's what I call the 'Helpful Headline Writer Syndrome' — you know that horse is going to win the Derby because they're going to think there shouldn't be that apostrophe-s in his name. It hearkens back to American Pharoah and they kept trying to spell "pharaoh" correctly, which was not how the horse's name was spelled."
John Boel, WAVE 3 anchor
Winner: Angel of Empire
Comment: "I made the mistake of watching the Arkansas Derby and watching the No. 6 horse sweep around everybody and run away from them so impressively. Most impressive race I've seen. Can't get it out of my head. So that is my pick. But I'm not taking any of this stuff seriously anymore after Rich Strike last year."
Rick Bozich, WDRB
Winner: Tapit Trice
Comment: "Very good horse. Won the Blue Grass (Stakes at Keeneland in April). What I like about him is in that race he dealt with a bunch of adversity, got through traffic, finished strong. I know they're saying there is no pace in the Derby; there will be pace. He'll win the race."
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Steve Buttleman, Official bugler of Churchill Downs and Kentucky Derby
Winner: Tapit Trice
Comment: "I saw him race at Keeneland. I thought it was an amazing run."
Ed DeRosa, Horse Racing Nation
Winner: Tapit Trice
Comment: "Loved his run at Tampa Bay (in Tampa Bay Derby), even better in the Blue Grass. Sky's the limit at Churchill Downs."
John Clay, Lexington Herald-Leader sports columnist
Winner: Forte
Comment: "I know everybody is trying to knock him — knock the favorite — but he's done nothing wrong. He's done everything they've asked him to do. He has a Kentucky Derby-winning trainer — a Hall of Fame trainer — in Todd Pletcher."
Pat Forde, Sports Illustrated senior writer
Winner: Forte
Comment: "It's going to be Forte ... my relative, in a romp."
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Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @RyanABlack.