A Keeneland champion is the Kentucky Derby favorite. Here’s the full field with odds.

Forte, winner of a pair of Grade 1 events at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington last fall, was installed Monday afternoon as the 3-1 morning-line favorite for Saturday’s 149th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville.

Forte, trained by Todd Pletcher, ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. and owned by Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable, will start from post position No. 15.

A total of 23 horses were entered for the $3 million, Grade 1 race, but the field will be limited to 20 by qualifying points. Cyclone Mischief, Mandarin Hero and King Russell were entered as “also-eligibles,” meaning they gain entry to the Derby only if one of the primary 20 is scratched before 9 a.m. Friday. That scenario unfolded last year when also-eligible Rich Strike gained entry to Kentucky Derby 148 after Ethereal Road was scratched the morning before the race. Rich Strike went on to win the Run for the Roses as an 80-1 long shot.

The 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby is scheduled for a 6:57 p.m. post time Saturday and will be televised by NBC.

Forte has won six of his seven career starts, including the $2 million, Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Keeneland on Nov. 4 and the $600,000, Grade 1 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland on Oct. 8. Forte also won the Grade 1 Hopeful Stakes at Saratoga last summer. This year, the son of Violence captured the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth and the Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream. He’s already amassed $2,409,830 in career earnings.

Forte’s only career defeat came as the favorite in last summer’s Grade 3 Sanford Stakes at Saratoga, a race in which none of the three horses who finished in front of him in a 12-horse field that day ended up making it to this year’s Kentucky Derby.

Pletcher also trains the second choice on the morning line in Toyota Blue Grass Stakes winner Tapit Trice.

Owned by Whisper Hill Farm and Gainesway Stable, Tapit Trice will be ridden by Luis Saez and start from post position No. 5 at odds of 5-1.

Before winning the $1 million Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland by a neck, Tapit Trice captured the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby. The son of Tapit has won four of his five career races.

Pletcher also trains Derby entrant Kingsbarns (12-1). Pletcher has saddled more Derby starters than any other trainer with 62 from which he’s produced two winners — Super Saver in 2010 and Always Dreaming in 2017. Pletcher had a record five starters in 2007 and 2013, a record he shares with D. Wayne Lukas (1996) and Nick Zito (2005).

Louisville-based trainer Brad Cox will exceed Pletcher with four starters Saturday — Angel of Empire (8-1), Hit Show (30-1), Verifying (15-1) and Jace’s Road (50-1).

Angel of Empire, ridden by Flavien Prat out of post-position No. 14, has won four of six career starts, headlined by the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on April 1. Verifying ran second to Tapit Trice in his most recent outing in the Blue Grass Stakes.

Practical Move, winner of the Santa Anita Derby for trainer Tim Yakteen, has won four of his seven races including his most recent three and has spent his entire career on the West Coast. Practical Move (10-1) has been under Yakteen’s care from the beginning, unlike the two horses the trainer saddled in last year’s Derby after inheriting them from Bob Baffert, the Hall of Fame trainer who remains under a two-year suspension from Churchill Downs that will be lifted after Saturday’s race.

This year’s Kentucky Derby entrants include three horses bred in Japan in Derma Sotogake (10-1), Continuar (50-1) and also-eligible Mandarin Hero (20-1). Most recently, Derma Sotogake won the UAE Derby in Dubai, a race in which Continuar finished third. Mandarin Hero was last seen running second to Practical Move in the Santa Anita Derby.

Lexington-based trainer Kenny McPeek will send Sun Thunder into gate No. 13 as a 50-1 shot on the morning line.

Hit Show (30-1) drew the No. 1 post position on the rail. Continuar has the far outside post position at No. 20.

Looking for a long shot to bet Saturday? It will probably come from this group, all of whom were pegged at 50-1 on the morning line: Reincarnate, Sun Thunder, Raise Cain, Continuar, Jace’s Road and also-eligible King Russell.

Kentucky Derby

When: 6:57 p.m. Saturday

Where: Churchill Downs

TV: NBC and Peacock

Purse: $3 million (Grade 1)

Distance: 1 1/4 miles

For: 3-year-old Thoroughbreds

Kentucky Derby field, with odds:

1. Hit Show (30-1)

2. Verifying (15-1)

3. Two Phil’s (12-1)

4. Confidence Game (20-1)

5. Tapit Trice (5-1)

6. Kingsbarns (12-1)

7. Reincarnate (50-1)

8. Mage (15-1)

9. Skinner (20-1)

10. Practical Move (10-1)

11. Disarm (30-1)

12. Jace’s Road (50-1)

13. Sun Thunder (50-1)

14. Angel of Empire (8-1)

15. Forte (3-1)

16. Raise Cain (50-1)

17. Derma Sotogake (10-1)

18. Rocket Can (30-1)

19. Lord Miles (30-1)

20. Continuar (50-1)

Also eligible:

21. Cyclone Mischief (30-1)

22. Mandarin Hero (20-1)

23. King Russell (50-1)

Note: Horses listed as also-eligible only gain entry to the Kentucky Derby field if one of the primary 20 is scratched before 9 a.m. Friday.

Cox filly favored in Kentucky Oaks

The field for Friday’s 149th running of the Kentucky Oaks for 3-year-old fillies also played out Monday afternoon at Churchill Downs.

Brad Cox-trained Wet Paint was installed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite in a full field of 14 for the $1.25 million Oaks, which covers 1 1/8 miles. Wet Paint drew post position No. 7.

Cox, who has four colts in the field for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby, will also saddle Botanical (4-1) and The Alys Look (15-1) in the Oaks, which goes to post at 5:51 p.m. Friday and will be televised by the USA Network.

Defining Purpose, who won the Central Bank Ashland Stakes for Lexington-based trainer Kenny McPeek on Keeneland’s opening day on April 7, is 12-1 on the morning line, racing from post position No. 11.

Kentucky Oaks

When: 5:51 p.m. Friday

Where: Churchill Downs

TV: USA and Peacock

Purse: $1.25 million (Grade 1)

Distance: 1 1/8 miles

For: 3-year-old fillies

Kentucky Oaks, with odds:

1. Mimi Kakushi (20-1)

2. The Alys Look (15-1)

3. Gambling Girl (15-1)

4. Southlawn (8-1)

5. Wonder Wheel (12-1)

6. Botanical (4-1)

7. Wet Paint (5-2)

8. Promiseher America (30-1)

9. And Tell Me Nolies (15-1)

10. Flying Connection (15-1)

11. Defining Purpose (12-1)

12. Dorth Vader (20-1)

13. Affirmative Lady (10-1)

14. Pretty Mischievous (10-1)

Also eligible:

15. Taxed (20-1)

16. Julia Shining (15-1)

17. Hoosier Philly (30-1)

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