5 things to know about the 2023 Kentucky Derby field ahead of May 1 post-position draw
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Who’s your Kentucky Derby horse?
Saturday’s Lexington Stakes at Keeneland marked the end of the prep-race season, and now the field is essentially set for the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby on May 6 at Churchill Downs.
History shows there likely will be a couple of defections over the next couple of weeks — more on that later — but we know the top story lines for this year’s race.
Forte is the likely favorite. Japan could have three contenders. Bob Baffert is out once again.
Several contenders already have arrived at Churchill Downs to prepare for the Kentucky Derby, and others will make their way over the next two weeks.
Nothing about the field is official until the post-position draw on Monday, May 1, but here’s what we know right now about the top 20 horses on the Kentucky Derby points list.
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Todd Pletcher the one to beat
Todd Pletcher has won the Kentucky Derby twice — Super Saver in 2010 and Always Dreaming in 2017 — and may have the top two choices in this year’s race.
Florida Derby winner Forte is expected to be the Kentucky Derby favorite. He’s looking to become just the fourth 2-year-old champion since 1980 to go on and win the Kentucky Derby, joining Street Sense (2006-07), American Pharoah (2014-15) and Nyquist (2015-16).
Blue Grass winner Tapit Trice has won four straight races and could be the second choice in the Kentucky Derby morning line. Louisiana Derby winner Kingsbarns, who’s undefeated in three races, is Pletcher’s third Kentucky Derby contender.
“We feel great about the hand we have right now,” Pletcher said.
Pletcher is one of three trainers in the Derby field with multiple horses, joining Louisville’s Brad Cox (Angel of Empire, Hit Show, Verifying) and Tim Yakteen (Practical Move, Reincarnate). Cox could have a fourth contender in Jace’s Road, who currently ranks No. 21 on the points leaderboard.
Five trainers are set to make their first Kentucky Derby start — Larry Rivelli (Two Phil’s), Hidetaki Otonashi (Derma Sotogake), Ben Colebrook (Raise Cain), Joel Marr (Wild On Ice) and Yoshito Yahagi (Continuar).
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Japanese horses prominent
Only two horses bred in Japan have competed in the Kentucky Derby — Master Fencer (sixth in 2019) and Crown Pride (13th in 2022) — but that number will increase this year.
Derma Sotogake and Continuar are safely in the field, and Mandarin Hero could join them with a few defections.
Derma Sotogake, a son of Mind Your Biscuits, won the UAE Derby on March 25 to clinch his spot in the Run for the Roses. Continuar, a son of Drefong, earned his spot via the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby. He finished third in the UAE Derby.
Mandarin Hero currently ranks No. 25 on the points leaderboard and would need five defections to make the Derby field. The son of Shanghai Bobby was the runner-up in the Santa Anita Derby.
Sixteen of the horses in the current Derby field were bred in Kentucky. Angel of Empire will try to become the third Pennsylvania-bred to win the Derby, joining Lil E. Tee (1992) and Smarty Jones (2004). Wild On Ice will try to become the third Texas-bred to win the Derby, joining Assault (1946) and Middleground (1950).
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Oldest Kentucky Derby jockey
Wild On Ice’s Ken Tohill, 60, is set to become the oldest jockey in Kentucky Derby history.
Tohill will get the chance after guiding Wild On Ice, a 35-1 long shot, to victory in the Grade 3 Sunland Park Derby on March 26.
According to Equibase.com, Tohill has won 4,099 races since 1979 with career earnings of $71.1 million. The Sunland Park Derby victory was his first in a graded-stakes race.
Jon Court became the oldest jockey in Derby history in 2019 when the 58-year-old guided Long Range Toddy to a 16th-place finish.
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Who might back out?
While most of the top 20 are committed to running as long as they’re healthy, at least two trainers have expressed at least some doubt.
Trainer Chad Brown told the Daily Racing Form he wants to see Blazing Sevens work at least once before committing to the Kentucky Derby. Blazing Sevens finished third in the Blue Grass and is expected to work Saturday or Sunday at Keeneland.
Brown chose to skip last year’s Kentucky Derby with Early Voting, who went on to win the Preakness.
Sun Thunder trainer Kenny McPeek told the DRF he’s still on the fence about his horse’s status for the Derby, adding, “I do believe the partnership’s inclination is to run.” Sun Thunder finished fourth in the Blue Grass.
The top three horses on the bubble for the Derby are No. 21 Jace’s Road (third in Louisiana Derby), No. 22 Skinner (third in Santa Anita Derby) and No. 23 Cyclone Mischief (third in Florida Derby).
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Who's the top sire?
Good Magic, who was the runner-up to Justify in the 2018 Kentucky Derby, has three progeny in this year’s field — Mage, Blazing Sevens and Reincarnate.
Violence (Forte, Raise Cain), Into Mischief (Rocket Can, Sun Thunder) and Candy Ride (Hit Show, Confidence Game) have two sons in the field.
Violence, trained by Pletcher, finished second behind Orb in the 2013 Fountain of Youth but never raced again.
Into Mischief, trained by Richard Mandella, was 3-3-0 in six career starts. His best win came in the Grade 1 CashCall Futurity in 2007 at Hollywood Park.
Candy Ride, bred in Argentina and trained by Ron McAnally, won all six of his career races, capped by a victory in the Grade 1 Pacific Classic in 2003 at Del Mar.
Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @KentuckyDerbyCJ.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Horses in the 2023 Kentucky Derby: Everything to know ahead of draw
