Lord Miles was 59-1 the distance as he won the Wood Memorial at Churchill Downs on Saturday to earn his way into the 2023 Kentucky Derby field. He becomes the third Kentucky Derby horse for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. and also the third Kentucky Derby horse for jockey Paco Lopez. The 2023 Kentucky Derby weather forecast calls for some rain in the Louisville area earlier in the day. The race favorite, Forte, won the Hopeful Stakes on a slow track as a two-year-old and sits 3-1 in the odds for the 2023 Kentucky Derby. After a scratch from Practical Move, Forte will come out of stable #14. Another Todd Pletcher-trained horse is the second favorite among the 2023 Kentucky Derby horses, with Tapit Trice rated 5-1 while Brad Cox’s Angel of Empire is third at 8-1.
Post time for the 2023 Kentucky Derby is 6:57 PM ET. Before making any 2023 Kentucky Derby predictions, check out elite horse racing handicapper Jody Demling’s 2023 Kentucky Derby tips and analysis.
Demling, who has written, spoken and bet on the races for years, is a fixture in the world of horse racing. He will enter the 2023 Kentucky Derby having won the Belmont Stakes four of the last five years, including an exacta in 2022 with Mo Donegal and Nest. He also secured Flightline’s victory in the Breeders’ Cup Classic last November.
Demling is at his best in the world’s biggest horse races like the 2023 Kentucky Derby. In fact, he has hit 10 of the last 14 Derby Oaks doubles at Churchill Downs. That means he has been on a ticket with the winners of both races in all but four of the last 14 years. He has also named nine of the last 18 Preakness winners and knew exactly when the Kentucky Derby winner was primed for victory or a massive upset, nailing the 2022 Preakness trifecta. All those who have followed him are great.
Now Demling has stumped the 2023 Kentucky Derby field, making his picks and building his bets. Click here to view them.
2023 Kentucky Derby Predictions For Forte, Tapit Trice, Angel Of The Empire
A surprise: Demling overshadows Tapit Trice despite being a 5-1 favorite. Another son of Tap, who has over 100 Graded Stakes wins, including 2022 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner Flightline and four Belmont winners, Blue Grass Stakes winner, finished fifth for the 2023 Kentucky Derby.
The post has produced 10 winners in Kentucky Derby history, but Always Dreaming was the last colt to accomplish the feat in 2017. Todd Pletcher trained Always Dreaming and is also the trainer for Tapit Trice. Despite being a two-time Kentucky Derby winner, the Hall of Fame trainer also had 62 Derby appearances and only managed to strike out eight times. See who else fades here.
Demling has also made his 2023 Kentucky Derby pick on Forte, the 3-1 top favorite. With six wins from seven starts, including five graded stakes wins, it’s no wonder he’s the favorite in the race. While Pletcher has had more Kentucky Derby entries (62) than any other trainer in history, he has just a 3.2% win rate and just eight of those entries on the board.
Sired by Violence, whose racing career was cut short by an injury early in his three-year-old season and who never raced more than 8.5 miles, Forte will handle 1 1/4 miles. Queen Mother Caroline has never run more than nine stadiums in her career and has won just once in 10 starts. How will he fare against a much stronger and bigger field on Saturday after needing a long final distance to beat Mage by a length in the Florida Derby? See where Forte ends up here.
Demling also has a strong read on Angel of Empire, the third favorite in the latest 2023 Kentucky Derby odds at 8-1. He is the son of a Grade 1 winner, Classic Empire, but Angel of Empire also tied for 14th. This position has not seen a winner since 1961, with only 3.0% of all 14-post starters winning the Kentucky Derby.
Angel of Empire has won three of his last four races and has shown his tactical speed as his speed number of 106 draws is the second highest in the 2023 Kentucky Derby field. He also has a trainer (Brad Cox ) and a jockey (Flavien Prat) who have won a Kentucky Derby for the past four years. Angel of the Empire will hope his connections and pedigree can land him one of the most unpopular jobs at Churchill Downs. See where Angel of the Empire ends up here.
How to make 2023 kentucky derby picks, betting
Demling is particularly high on the big shot, who “has shown great practice at Churchill Downs and will be there with a shot at the end.” Anyone who bets on this horse can make it big. It only tells SportsLine which horses to bet on.
Where will Forte, Tapit Trice, Angel of Empire and all the other horses finish in the 2023 Kentucky Derby? And what long shot is necessary to return? Check out the 2023 Kentucky Derby odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Demling’s Kentucky Derby picks, all from the expert, who has won 10 Derby-Oaks doubles in the last 14 years.
