Horse racing fans, take a deep breath and enjoy the fact we’ve got a weekend ahead with no KY Derby Prep Races. I don’t know who is in charge of the Prep Race schedule, but whoever decided not to have a race (in the USA at least) deserves a gold medal. Trying to figure out if my 6-team parlay hits while also trying to get the #5 horse to the wire at the same time can be utterly exhausting. Heading into a weekend full of hoops, let’s take a moment to recap the 2023 Tampa Bay Derby and take a pulse on the current Derby Contenders.
Tapit Trice Storms Late from Off the Pace to Win the 2023 Tampa Derby
If you would’ve told me coming around the final turn that Tapit Trice won the race by a length and a half I’d call you a liar. Tapit Trice & Jockey Luis Saez decided that they were going to break dead last out of the gate and sit at the back of the pack at the ½ & ¾ mile pole. Coming around the final turn, Tapit Trice went 5-wide down the center of the track to storm home and win the race despite the odds being stacked against him. What made the win more impressive was the fact that early speed had been winning all day on the dirt and TT decided to come closing late against an honest pace. Not sure this horse has what it takes to win on the first Saturday in May, but none the less this horse has proven he’s got top-level closing speed. Classic Car Wash and Classic Legacy decided to finish 2 nd and 3 rd in this race that lacked any sort of other Derby Contenders. In my eyes, Tapit Trice is the only one in the field who can run for the roses.
Forte Closes Derby Pool at 3/1
At the close of the Derby Pool #5, Forte is far and away the odds-on favorite. Closing at Morning Line 3/1, his recent win in the Fountain of Youth has bettors backing the horse big time. We’ve still got a solid month of prep races for other horses to prove they can at least hang with this horse, but if I had to place a wager today it would be extremely tough to bet against Todd Pletcher here. “All Others” closed at 10- 1, followed by Practical Move at 12/1 and Instant Coffee at 19/1.
Arabian Knight Withdraws from Derby Consideration
It feels like it was only a couple weeks ago that Bob Baffert had more than a handful of KY Derby Contenders in his barn. Less than a month later after losing a court case and sending his contenders to the Yakteen Barn, only 2 of those horses remain as Kentucky Derby Eligible. It’s pretty unfortunate to see Arabian Knight withdraw, as he was seen with a horse with extremely raw talent that could potentially give Forte a run for his money
