Kentucky Oaks past performances in 2023 provide information about racing horses regarding distance, surface, running style and previous results.
Eminent as "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports", Kentucky Derby is a prestigious racing event with a prolonged history. The first race was run on 17 May 1985 and it has continued without any interruption for the last 148 years.
It is also the first leg of the American Triple Crown. The 149th race is scheduled for May 6, 2023, as the whole of America is eager to see the historic race unfold. If you are wondering what to wear for the special day, we have got you covered with Kentucky Derby Outfits suggestions.
Apart from the enriched saga of the event, The Run for the Roses is also eminent for its betting history. Laying down on horse racing is as old as human civilization. A whopping $179 million was gambled in the 2022 Kentucky Derby, 17% more than the previous year.
With millions of amounts expected to be wagered this year as well, the past performance of the 20 horses that are entered in the race becomes an important aspect to look at for the bettors.
Ranking Past Performances from Kentucky Derby
We have ranked the competing horses on the basis of Beyer and Brisnet Speed Figures.
| Horse | Best / Last Beyer | Best / Last Brisnet |
| 1. Forte | 100 / 95 | 103 / 100 |
| 2. Practical Move | 100 / 100 | 105 / 100 |
| 3. Angel of Empire | 94 / 94 | 101 / 101 |
| 4. Tapit Trice | 99 / 99 | 102 / 102 |
| 5. Two Phil's | 101 / 101 | 107 / 107 |
| 6. Lord Miles | 93 / 93 | 99 / 99 |
| 7. Derma Sotogake | - | - |
| 8. Kingsbarns | 95 / 95 | 98 / 98 |
| 9. Raise Cain | 90 / 89 | 94 / 94 |
| 10. Hit Show | 93 / 93 | 99 / 99 |
The Beyer Speed figures are extremely significant for handicapping races as they help the wagerers to identify racehorses that have showcased exceptional speed during the previous races.
Likewise, Brisnet Speed figures portray how quickly the horse ran in the particular race, adjusted to the conditions and measure their consistent speed accordingly.
Apart from these, some of the key aspects that influence the past performances of the Kentucky Derby contenders are listed as under;
- Previous races and performance of the horse in those races
- Distance of previous races and their comparison to the distance of the Kentucky Derby
- Prior records of jockey and trainer of the Derby thoroughbreds.
- Any kind of past injuries the competing horse has experienced
- Breeding of horses and their ability to adapt to the track conditions
Kentucky Derby 2023 Post Positions
Kentucky Derby 2023 post positions draw took place on May 1, five days before the racing day. Forte is set to run from the number 15 gate.
The post-position draw is seen with great importance as twenty horses are randomly assigned the starting gate positions. With one position considered more favorable than another, the post placements often impact the chances of a horse winning.
| Post Position | Horse |
| 20 | Continuar |
| 19 | Lord Miles |
| 18 | Rocket Can |
| 17 | Derma Sotogake |
| 16 | Raise Cain |
| 15 | Forte |
| 14 | Angel of Empire |
| 13 | Sun Thunder |
| 12 | Jace's Road |
| 11 | Disarm |
| 10 | Practical Move |
| 9 | Skinner |
| 8 | Mage |
| 7 | Reincarnate |
| 6 | Kingsbarns |
| 5 | Tapit Trice |
| 4 | Confidence Game |
| 3 | Two Phil's |
| 2 | Verifying |
| 1 | Hot Show |
The most favorable post positions over the years have been through 5 to 10 whilst looking at the highest win percentage to date.
Not just these positions allow a horse to be close enough to the rail but also give enough time for the riders to assess the pace and place themselves for a strong finish.
On the contrary, the inside (1-4) and outside (17-20) positions are considered slightly difficult. There remains the risk of horses getting stuck in traffic and not fetching adequate running space.
A total of 10 wins have come from the 5th position whereas there have been 9 wins from the 10th position in the Kentucky Derby history. Likewise, there have been eight winners from the first, seventh and eighth post positions.
Interestingly, there has not been a single winner from the 17th number gate which makes placing a stake in Derma Sotogake a huge risk.
Rich Strike jockeyed by Eric Reed won the 2022 Kentucky Derby starting from the 20th post position, only the second time in eighteen starts.
Kentucky Derby Odds This Saturday
The Kentucky Derby Odds are listed below;
| Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Odds |
| Forte | Todd Pletcher | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 3-1 |
| Tapit Trice | Todd Pletcher | Luis Saez | 5-1 |
| Angel of Empire | Brad Cox | Flavien Prat | 8-1 |
| Derma Sotogake | Hidetaka Otonashi | Christophe Lemaire | 10-1 |
| Practical Move | Tim Yakteen | Ramon Vazquez | 10-1 |
| Kingsbarns | Todd Pletcher | Jose Ortiz | 12-1 |
| Two Phil's | Larry Rivelli | Jareth Loveberry | 12-1 |
| Mage | Gustavo Delgado | Juan Hernandez | 20-1 |
| Verifying | Brad Cox | Tyler Gaffalione | 15-1 |
| Confidence Game | Keith Desormeaux | James Graham | 20-1 |
| Skinner | John Shirreffs | Juan Hernandez | 20-1 |
| Disarm | Steve Asmussen | Joel Rosario | 30-1 |
| Hit Show | Brad Cox | Manny Franco | 30-1 |
| Lord Miles | Saffie Joseph Jr. | Paco Lopez | 30-1 |
| Rocket Can | Bill Mott | Junior Alvarado | 30-1 |
| Continuar | Yoshito Yahagi | Ryusei Sakai | 50-1 |
| Jace's Road | Brad Cox | Florent Geroux | 15-1 |
| Sun Thunder | Kenny McPeek | Brian Hernandez Jr. | 50-1 |
| Reincarnate | Tim Yakteen | John Velazquez | 50-1 |
The rich history spanning 149 years along with the stellar reputation of the Kentucky Derby makes it the most popular betting event in the US.
There have been various changes to the betting odds since the post position was announced as the best three-year-old thoroughbreds are battling at Churchill Downs. More than $200 million is expected to be wagered during the historic race this Saturday.
Forte is the favorite to win the race at 3-1 and the odds are expected to further change when the horses reach the starting gate on Saturday. The Todd Pletcher-trained horse is coming in a rich vein of form having won his last five races.
Tapit Price and Angel of Empire have the odds of 5-1 and 8-1 respectively whereas Derma Sotogake and Practical Move closely follow with 10-1 odds. The well-acclaimed horse betting pundit Jody Demling feels Japan's Derma Sotogake can be a long-shot worth backing.
