Kentucky Derby: Meet the contenders and watch them run
Forte will break from the 15th post as the morning-line favorite in the 149th Kentucky Derby on Saturday.
On Monday afternoon, the post-position draw established the 20 horses that will Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs this year.
With victories in his past five races, including four Grade 1 and one Grade 2 stakes, Forte was established as the 3-1 morning-line favorite in the Kentucky Derby by Mike Battaglia, who has set the morning-line odds at Churchill Downs since 1974.
Forte enters the Kentucky Derby off a victory in the Florida Derby on April 1, and the winners of the other major warmup races made it to Churchill Downs for Saturday’s race.
Tapit Trice is the second-favorite in the morning line at 5-1 after winning the Blue Grass Stakes, and Angel of Empire is No. 3 at 8-1 off his victory at the Arkansas Derby.
Santa Anita Derby winner Practical Move is at 10-1 in the morning line, long shot Wood Memorial winner Lord Miles is at 30-1, Louisiana Derby winner Kingsbarns is at 12-1 and UAE Derby winner Derma Sotogake is at 10-1.
Kingsbarns is the only undefeated entry, but the colt has raced just three times.
The post positions and morning-line odds for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby include:
· 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 15-1
· 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
Post time for the Kentucky Derby is scheduled for 5:57 p.m. CDT Saturday.
NBC starts television coverage of the Kentucky Derby at 11 a.m. Saturday. The Kentucky Derby also will be streamed live via NBCSports.com, Peacock and the NBC Sports app.
The field for the Kentucky Derby includes:
Angel of Empire has two graded stakes on his resume, and the colt won both. On Feb. 18, Angel of Empire won the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes in Louisiana, then captured the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on April 1. In the Risen Star, Angel of Empire came from third in the stretch to beat Sun Thunder by 1 length. In Arkansas, the colt rolled to a 4.25-length victory over King Russell. Trainer: Brad Cox, who won the 2021 Kentucky Derby with Mandaloun. Jockey: Flavien Pratt, who won the 2019 Kentucky Derby on Country House. Record: 6-4-1-0. Earnings: $1,069,375. Pedigree: Armony’s Angel by Classic Empire.
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Confidence Game ran four of the five races in his 2-year-old campaign at Churchill Downs, with two wins, but also a fifth-place showing in the Grade 3 Iroquois Stakes. As a 3-year-old, Confidence Game faded to a third-place finish behind Instant Coffee and Two Phil’s in the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes on Jan. 21. The colt comes to the Kentucky Derby with a long layoff since a strong run at the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes on Feb. 25, when Confidence Game beat Red Route One by 1 length on a sloppy track. Trainer: Keith Desormeaux. Jockey: James Graham. Record: 7-3-1-2. Earnings: $785,525. Pedigree: Eblouissante by Candy Ride.
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Continuar, the Japanese qualifier, hasn’t backed up his promising 2-year-old season at home as a 3-year-old in the Middle East. Continuar ran fifth in the Grade 3 Saudi Derby on Feb. 25 and third in the Grade 2 UAE Derby on March 25. Trainer: Yoshito Yahagi. Jockey: Ryusei Sakai. Record: 5-2-1-1. Earnings: $337,889. Pedigree: Pan De Ring by Drefong.
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Derma Sotogake didn’t finish better than third in his first four races but hasn’t finished worse than third in his past four – and three of those are victories. The Japanese colt has come to Churchill Downs via the Middle East. Derma Sotogake won the Grade 2 UAE Derby at Meydan Racecourse the last time out on March 25. Trainer: Hidetaka Otonashi. Jockey: Christophe Lemaire. Record: 8-4-0-2. Earnings: $1,162.164. Pedigree: Amour Poesie by Mind Your Biscuits.
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Disarm has run five races at five tracks and never finished out of the money. His lone win came by 6.25 lengths at Saratoga on Aug. 6 in his second outing. In his past two races, Disarm finished second by 3.5 lengths to Kingsbarns in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby on March 25 and an uninvolved third in the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes on April 15. Trainer: Steve Asmussen. Jockey: Joel Rosario, who won the 2013 Kentucky Derby on Orb. Record: 5-1-2-2. Earnings: $327,850. Pedigree: Easy Tap by Gun Runner.
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Forte finished fourth in his first stakes outing, the Grade 3 Sanford Stakes, on July 16, then won three Grade 1 races – Hopeful Stakes, Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity and Breeders’ Cup Juvenile – to capture the Eclipse Award as the nation’s best 2-year-old. As a 3-year-old, the hard-charging stretch runner has won the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes on March 4 and the Grade 1 Florida Derby on April 1 at Gulfstream Park to stand at the top of the Kentucky Derby points leaderboard heading into the Run for the Roses. Trainer: Todd Pletcher, who won the 2010 Kentucky Derby with Super Saver and the 2017 Kentucky Derby with Always Dreaming. Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr. Record: 7-6-0-0. Earnings: $2,409,830. Pedigree: Queen Caroline by Violence.
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Hit Show opened his 3-year-old season with his third victory in four races. In his graded-stakes debut, Hit Show won the Grade 3 Withers Stakes on Feb. 11 by pulling away from Arctic Arrogance for a 5.5-length victory. But at the Grade 2 Wood Memorial and running as the favorite, as he has in every race in his career, the colt lost by a nose to 59-1 long shot Lord Miles. Trainer: Brad Cox, who won the 2021 Kentucky Derby with Mandaloun. Jockey: Manny Franco. Record: 5-3-1-0. Earnings: $404,375. Pedigree: Actress by Candy Ride.
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Jace’s Road has been all over the place with his results. After an eighth-place finish in the Grade 3 Street Sense Stakes on Oct. 30, the colt won the Gun Runner Stakes by 5.5 lengths over Raise Cain on Dec. 26. As a 3-year-old, Jace’s Road ran fifth in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes, fading to finish 12.75 lengths behind winner Arabian Knight, and came home third in the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby, 6.25 lengths behind winner Kingsbarns. Trainer: Brad Cox, who won the 2021 Kentucky Derby with Mandaloun. Jockey: Florent Geroux, who won the 2021 Kentucky Derby on Madaloun. Record: 6-2-0-2. Earnings: $238,050. Pedigree: Out Post by Quality Road.
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Kingsbarns did not race as a 2-year-old and has one graded-stakes outing on his unblemished record. In the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby on March 25, the colt dominated for a 3.25-length victory over Disarm. The previous victory at Tampa Bay on Feb. 12 had come by 7.75 lengths. Trainer: Todd Pletcher, who won the 2010 Kentucky Derby with Super Saver and the 2017 Kentucky Derby with Always Dreaming. Jockey: Jose Ortiz. Record: 3-3-0-0. Earnings: $657,000. Pedigree: Lady Tapit by Uncle Mo.
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Lord Miles won his first outing in November at Gulfstream Park, but couldn’t repeat in three races in Florida, including a sixth-place finish in the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes on Feb. 4 and a fifth-place finish in the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby on March 11. Then came the Grade 2 Wood Memorial on April 8, when the colt ran past Arctic Arrogance and Dreamlike in the stretch and held off Hit Show by a nose to win as a 59-1 long shot. Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr. Jockey: Paco Lopez. Record: 5-2-0-1. Earnings: $451,100. Pedigree: Lady Esme by Curlin.
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Mage didn’t race as 2-year-old, then won almost wire-to-wire with the second-longest odds in the field the first time out at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 28. The colt’s other two races were won by Forte, as Mage ran fourth in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes on March 4 and second by 1 length in the Grade 1 Florida Derby on April 1. Trainer: Gustavo Delgado. Jockey: Javier Castellano. Record: 3-1-1-0. Earnings: $247,200. Pedigree: Puca by Good Magic.
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Practical Move has never finished out of the money, and in his past three races, the colt hasn’t finished behind any horses either. Practical Move comes to Churchill Downs after holding off Mandarin Hero by a nose to win the Santa Anita Derby on April 8. The winning streak started in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity on Dec. 17, with the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes the middle race. Trainer: Tim Yakteen. Jockey: Ramon Vazquez. Record: 7-4-1-2. Earnings: $884.200. Pedigree: Ack Naughty by Practical Joke.
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Raise Cain didn’t make his graded-stakes debut until his sixth race on March 4, and he won the Grade 3 Gotham Stakes by 7.5 lengths over Slip Mahoney at 23-1 on a muddy track. But the late-running colt came back a month later and was a non-factor in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes with a fifth-place finish 7 lengths behind winner Tapit Trice. Trainer: Ben Colebrook. Jockey: Gerardo Corrales. Record: 7-2-1-1. Earnings: $296,328. Pedigree: Lemon Belle by Violence.
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Reincarnate has never run out of the money in seven races at three tracks. The colt’s victories came back-to-back on Nov. 25 at Del Mar wire-to-wire and Jan. 8 at Santa Anita by a neck over Newgate in the Grade 3 Sham Stakes. Since then, Reincarnate ran third to Confidence Game and Red Route One in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes on Feb. 25 and to Angel of Empire and King Russell in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on April 1. Trainer: Tim Yakteen. Jockey: John Velazquez, who won the 2011 Kentucky Derby on Animal Kingdom, the 2017 Kentucky Derby on Always Dreaming and the 2020 Kentucky Derby on Authentic. Record: 7-2-3-2. Earnings: $345,650. Pedigree: Allanah by Good Magic.
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Rocket Can has seen diminishing returns as he has moved up in competition. In the colt’s graded-stakes debut on Feb. 4, Rocket Can held the lead through the stretch in the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes to win by three-quarters of a length over Shadow Dragon. In the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes on March 4, Forte ran past Rocket Can in the stretch, leaving him with a second-place showing 4.5 lengths behind. In the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on April 1, Rocket Can ran fourth behind Angel of Empire, King Russell and Reincarnate. Trainer: William Mott, who won the 2019 Kentucky Derby with Country House. Jockey: Junior Alvarado. Record: 7-2-2-0. Earnings: $383,413. Pedigree: Tension by Into Mischief.
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Skinner had two Grade 1 outings as a 2-year-old, but the colt ran sixth at the Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 11 and third at the American Pharoah Stakes on Oct. 8. Skinner got his 3-year-old season started on the right foot with at Santa Anita on Feb. 12. Then came a pair of third-place finishes in races won by Practical Move – the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes on March 4 and the Santa Anita Derby on April 8. Trainer: John Shirreffs, who won the 2005 Kentucky Derby with Giacomo. Jockey: Juan Hernandez. Record: 6-1-0-3. Earnings: $216,300. Pedigree: Winding Way by Curlin.
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Sun Thunder won in his second race on Dec. 31 by 6.5 lengths over King Russell. But it’s been a second, two fourths and a fifth since in graded stakes. The colt wasn’t a factor in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes on Jan. 28, Grade 2 Louisiana Derby on March 25 or the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes on April 8. In the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes on Feb. 18, Sun Thunder finished second by a length to Angel of Empire after a big run had put the colt in front in the stretch. Trainer: Kenneth McPeek. Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr. Record: 6-1-1-1. Earnings: $247,500. Pedigree: Greenfield D’Oro by Into Mischief.
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Tapit Trice had a third-place showing in his first race at Aqueduct on Nov. 6 and has run off four victories since. The past two have come in graded stakes. On March 11, Tapit Trice won the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby by running from eighth entering the stretch to a 2-length victory over Classic Car Wash. At the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes on April 8, Tapit Trice trailed by 4 lengths entering the stretch and edged Verifying for the victory. It was the second win by a neck on Tapit Trice’s record. Trainer: Todd Pletcher, who won the 2010 Kentucky Derby with Super Saver and the 2017 Kentucky Derby with Always Dreaming. Jockey: Luis Saez. Record: 5-4-0-1. Earnings: $883,650. Pedigree: Danzatrice by Tapit.
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Two Phil’s rebounded from a seventh-place run in his first graded-stakes outing – the Grade 1 Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity – on Oct. 8 to win the Grade 3 Street Sense Stakes by 5.25 lengths at Churchill Downs 22 days later. Two Phil’s comes back to Louisville off another 5.25-length, Grade 3 victory in the Jeff Ruby Steaks on March 25, when he beat the favorite Major Dude. In between the victories, the colt ran second in the Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes on Jan. 21 and third in the Risen Star Stakes on Feb. 18. Trainer: Larry Rivelli. Jockey: Jareth Loveberry. Record: 8-4-1-1. Earnings: $683,450. Pedigree: Mia Torri by Hard Spun.
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Verifying has picked up his victories in his two non-graded races. The colt ran second in a Grade 1 race in his second outing on Oct. 1 in the Champagne Stakes. Then came a sixth-place showing in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. After a victory at Oaklawn Park on Jan. 14, Verifying finished fourth as the favorite at the track in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes before being beaten by a nose by Tapit Trice in the Blue Grass Stakes on April 8. Trainer: Brad Cox. Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione. Record: 6-2-2-0. Earnings: $489,900. Pedigree: Diva Delite by Justify.
Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.