We’ve reached the month of May, which means horse racing is set to re-enter the mainstream. This Saturday is the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby as all of the glitz, glamour and top thoroughbreds gather at Churchill Downs. There are a lot of big storylines, like the absence of Bob Baffert – even though some of his horses are in the race. Let’s take a look at all of the contenders and check out all of their odds at BetAnySports.eu to see who might be a good bet to win the Run for the Roses.
The Kentucky Derby Favorites
The current favorite is Forte, who is sitting at 3/1. Forte won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile back in 2022 and hasn’t lost a race since July 2022. He’s won six of his seven starts, firing on all cylinders lately. That includes the Florida Derby and Fountain of Youth Stakes. Those impressive results are why he’s favored.
Tapit Trice is going to garner a lot of betting attention as he’s on the board at 9/2. He’ll come into Saturday’s affair having won four straight races, which puts some wind in his sails. Tapit Trice also happens to be the son of Tapit, which was a three-time leading sire from North America who smashed a variety of milestones. However, Tapit’s best finish at the Kentucky Derby was a ninth.
Angel Empire has gained some steam recently and is now up to 7/1 on the board. This is a horse that’s trained by Brad Cox and has had a good run on the Kentucky Derby Trail. Angel Empire won the Arkansas Derby on April 1st and the Risen Star in February. The three-year-old colt has won four of his six starts and is viewed as a serious contender out of the No. 14 gate.
The Longshots
We’ve seen some massive longshots cash in at the Kentucky Derby recently, so why not another? After all, who could forget Rich Strike, who cashed at 80-1 odds.
This year, a few longshots are intriguing, with Skinner being the first that comes to mind. Skinner is at 20/1 at the moment but is the son of a former Derby winner. He has been done well recently, finishing in the money in three straight with a win and two third-place results.
Verifying is going to get some bettors behind him at 18/1. He’s another Brad Cox entry but he’ll have a difficult starting position. He’s in the No. 2 post and keep in mind that a horse hasn’t been able to win from there since 1978. He only has two wins in his six career races but he also has a pair of runner-ups – including one to Tapit Trice in the Blue Grass Stakes. Verifying is also the son of a former Triple Crown winner, so he has good pedigree.
Some bettors feel like Hit Show might be a value play at 25/1. In five career starts, he’s finished first or second four times. That includes a win at the Withers Stakes and a runner-up at the Wood Memorial. Hit Show is also from the Cox umbrella, so he’ll have multiple opportunities to win the Run for the Roses.
