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149th Kentucky Derby

Kentucky Derby
Grade I stakes race
2023 Kentucky Derby
Location	Churchill Downs Louisville, Kentucky, United States
Date	May 6, 2023 (2023-05-06)
Distance	1+1⁄4 mi (10 furlongs; 2,012 m)
Winning horse	Mage
Jockey	Javier Castellano
Trainer	Gustavo Delgado
Surface	Dirt
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The 2023 Kentucky Derby (officially, the 2023 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve) was the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby. It took place on May 6, 2023, the first Saturday in May, in Louisville, Kentucky. The race was open to 20 horses, who qualified for the race by earning points on the 2023 Road to the Kentucky Derby. The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race at a distance of 1+1⁄4 miles (2.0 km) and has been run at Churchill Downs racetrack since its inception in 1875. The purse for 2023 will be US$3 million. The race was won by Mage.

The race was broadcast by NBC, with coverage of undercard races beginning at 10:30 am EDT on USA Network and main network coverage of pre-race activities starting at 12:30 pm EDT. It was also livestreamed on NBCSports.com.

During the week of the 2023 Derby, seven horses died at Churchill Downs, including two who had to be euthanized prior to the signature race on Saturday.

Qualification

The field is limited to twenty horses who qualify based on points earned in the 2023 Road to the Kentucky Derby, a series of designated races that was first introduced in 2013. This point system replaced the previous graded stakes race earnings system. The Main Road consists mostly of races in North America and one in Dubai, the Japan Road consists of four races in Japan, and the European Road consists of seven races in Great Britain, Ireland and France.

Entries

The draw for the event was held at Churchill Downs at 2:00 p.m. on May 1, 2023. Forte was installed as the 3-1 favorite morning line and drew post number 15.

Three horses were withdrawn from the Derby two days before the race. On May 4, trainer Tim Yakteen scratched Practical Move after the horse spiked a temperature, which allowed the Dale Romans-trained Cyclone Mischief to draw in from the also-eligible list. Later that day, Wood Memorial winner Lord Miles was scratched by order of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, which announced that all horses trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. would be scratched until further notice after two of them collapsed and died following races run at Churchill on April 29 and May 2. The scratch of Lord Miles allowed Japanese horse Mandarin Hero to draw in to the race. The third and final also-eligible, the Ron Moquett-trained King Russell, drew in to the Derby on the evening of May 4 after another Japanese contender, Continuar, was scratched by trainer Yoshito Yahagi. On the day before the Derby, John Shirreffs scratched Skinner after that horse developed a temperature. On May 6, just hours before the Derby was scheduled to start, Forte was scratched from the race. Mike Repole, the co-owner of Forte, cited the cause of the scratch as a bruised right foot.

Result

Mage won by a length with a time of 2:01.57. Initially, he broke slowly and was near the back of the pack. Verifying, Kingsbarns and Reincarnate set a fast pace with fractions of :22.35, :45.73 and 1:10.11. Mage was in sixth place by the mile marker. He charged to the outside of Two Phil's, overtook Two Phil's down the stretch and held off Two Phil's and Angel of Empire for the win.

Mage only had one win before the Kentucky Derby. Mage became the fourth horse to win the Kentucky Derby after having only three previous starts, joining Justify, Big Brown and Regret. He also became the fourth horse to win the Kentucky Derby without racing as a two-year old, joining Justify and Apollo.

Mage is owned by OGMA Investments, Ramiro Restrepo, Sterling Racing and Commonwealth Thoroughbreds, a micro-shares company that sells shares to back the career of an athlete or horse. They banded together after Restrepo and and trainer Gustavo Delgado bought Mage for $290,000, which was above their initial budget.

Track condition: fast

Times: 1⁄4 mile – 22.35; 1⁄2 mile – 45.73; 3⁄4 mile – 1:10.11; mile – 1:36.06; final – 2:01.57.
Splits for each quarter-mile: (22.35) (23:38) (24:38) (25:95) (25:51)

Source: Equibase chart

Payouts

The table below provides the Kentucky Derby payout schedule for a $2 stake.

• $2 exacta (8–3): $330.44
• $0.50 trifecta (8–3–14): $491.18
• $1 superfecta (8–3–14–11): $15,643.65
• $1 Super High Five (8–3–14–11–1): $194,923.09

Notes

1. Irad Ortiz Jr. was supposed to ride Forte, but after Forte was scratched, Ortiz was named as the rider of Cyclone Mischief
2. Skinner was scratched after spiking a temperature
3. Practical Move was scratched after having an elevated temperature on May 4
4. Derby favorite Forte was scratched after regulatory veterinarian concerns related to a mending foot bruise in his right front leg
5. Lord Miles was scratched by order of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission
6. Continuar was scratched by trainer Yoshito Yahagi, who said that the horse did not reach peak fitness for the race

References

1. Frank Angst (October 25, 2017). "Woodford Reserve is New Kentucky Derby Sponsor". BloodHorse.com. Archived from the original on April 15, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
2. "Kentucky Derby Purse Raised to $3 Million". www.kentuckyderby.com.
3. Guha, Rocky (March 15, 2022). "When is the Kentucky Derby 2023? Start Time, TV Channel, Odds". Kentucky Derby. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
4. De la Fuente, Homero; Sottile, Zoe (May 6, 2023). "7 horses have died at Churchill Downs since the start of Kentucky Derby week". CNN.
5. "About the Road to the Kentucky Derby". Churchill Downs Incorporated. Archived from the original on April 11, 2016. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
6. "2022/23 Kentucky Derby Prep Races". kentuckyderby.com. Churchill Downs Inc. September 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2023.
7. King, Byron (May 1, 2023). "Favored Forte Avoids Unfavorable Draw in Kentucky Derby The son of Violence will start from post 15". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
8. ^ "Practical Move scratched from Kentucky Derby due to fever". WLKY. Hearst Television. May 4, 2023. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
9. ^ Vogt, Dustin; Stevens, Mark (May 4, 2023). "Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. suspended from Churchill Downs, Lord Miles scratched from Derby". WAVE. Gray Television. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
10. ^ Kerstein, Kevin (May 4, 2023). "Continuar (JPN) to scratch from Kentucky Derby 149" (PDF) (Press release). Louisville, KY: Churchill Downs. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
11. ^ Grening, David (May 5, 2023). "Kentucky Derby: Skinner scratched due to temperature". Daily Racing Form. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
12. ^ "Forte, the morning-line favorite, scratched hours before Kentucky Derby". The Washington Post. May 6, 2023.
13. ^ Harris, Beth. "Mage wins star-crossed Kentucky Derby amid 7th death". Associated Press.
14. ^ King, Byron (May 6, 2023). "Mage Rallies to Thrilling Kentucky Derby Victory". Bloodhorse.com.
15. ^ Drummond, Cameron. "Lightly raced Mage wins the 2023 Kentucky Derby for his connections from Venezuela". Lexington Herald-Leader.
16. Hall, Gregory A. (May 6, 2023). "Latest Changes for Kentucky Derby Day; The National Weather Service forecasts partly sunny skies with a high near 80". Bloodhorse.com. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
17. Perez, Joe (May 4, 2023). "Kentucky Derby With the scratch, Cyclone Mischief will make it into the Kentucky Derby (G1) field". Bloodhorse.com. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
18. "Forte, the 2023 Kentucky Derby favorite, scratched 10 hours before race at Churchill Downs". Courier Journal. May 6, 2023.
19. "Kentucky Derby favorite Forte scratched from race". ESPN. May 6, 2023.
20. ^ "2023 Kentucky Derby presented by Woodford Reserve Grade 1 (race 12)". Equibase. May 6, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.

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