2023 Arkansas Derby Runners: Reincarnate Heads 11 Entries

Sports Lens

29 March 2023

2023 Arkansas Derby Runners: Reincarnate Heads 11 Entries

The 2023 Arkansas Derby runners see 11 entries heading to post for Saturday’s big Oaklawn Park race. With the Tim Yakteen-trained Reincarnate topping the betting for the big weekend Kentucky Derby trial.

We’ve got all the entries, riders and post positions for the Oaklawn Park showpiece.

2023 Arkansas Derby Runners: Reincarnate the Betting Favourite To Continue Quest Towards The Kentucky Derby

Reincarnate will be hoping to bounce back to life in Saturday’s Arkansas Derby after a recent third in the G2 Rebel Stakes at Gulfstream in February. Saturday’s Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park is one the next big trial race on the road to the Kentucky Derby on Saturday May 6 – along with the Florida Derby this weekend too.

The 3 year-old Reincarnate has been installed by the best US sports betting sites as the Arkansas Derby favourite despite a recent defeat. He’s been transferred from the Bob Baffert yard to the Tim Yakteen barn so he can run here – but it’s worth pointing out that Baffert has a good record in the race – winning it four times since 2012.

Prior to Reincarnate’s recent third, the Good Magic colt had impressed in winning at Del Mar and Santa Anita – including the G3 Sham Stakes. The horse is also currently 20/1 for the Kentucky Derby – a price that will surely vanish if he takes Saturday’s Arkansas Derby.

The Arkansas Derby will award Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top five finishers – (100-40-30-20-10)

Angel Of Empire Also A Big Player For Arkansas Derby

Of the rest, the Brad H Cox yard won this prize with Cyberknife last year and will be hoping to follow-up with Angel Of Empire. The Classic Empire colt was last seen winning the G2 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds in February. He’s priced around 40/1 for the Kentucky Derby on May 6.

Arkansas Derby Runners, Riders, Post Positions and Betting Odds

1 (1) Bourbon Bash

Jockey: Reylu Gutierrez
Trainer: D Wayne Lukas

2 (2) Interlock Empire

Jockey:David Cabrera
Trainer: Kenneth McPeek

3 (3) Harlocap

Jockey: Ricardo Santana Jr
Trainer: Steven Asmussen

4 (4) Two Eagles River

Jockey: Nik Juarez
Trainer: Chris A Hartman

5 (5) Airtime

Jockey: Cristian A Torres
Trainer: Robertino Diodoro

6 (6) Angel Of Empire

Jockey: Flavien Prat
Trainer: Brad H Cox

7 (7) Rocket Can

Jockey: Junior Alvarado
Trainer: William Mott

8 (8) Reincarnate

Jockey:John R Velazquez
Trainer: Tim Yakteen

9 (9) King Russell

Jockey: Rafael Bejarano
Trainer: Ronald Moquett

10 (10) Red Route One

Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione
Trainer: Steven Asmussen

11 (11) Kolomio

Jockey: James Graham
Trainer: Keith Desormeaux

you can bet on the Arkansas Derby with BetOnline and also get $1000 in free horse racing bets.

9 Of The Last 10 Arkansas Derby Winners Had a Post Position Of 6 or Lower

The key draw stat heading into Saturday’s Arkansas Derby tells us that 90% of the last 10 winners hailed from post position 6 or lower.

Only Cyberknife last year, who won from gate 8, has defied this stat in the last 10 runnings.

This is good news for the 6 lowest drawn horses – Bourbon Bash, Interlock Empire, Harlocap, Two Eagles River, Airtime and Angel Of Empire.

While the likely Arkansas Derby favourite – Reincarnate – has gate 8, so will need to do a Cyberknife.

Three Arkansas Derby Winners Have Gone onto Win The Kentucky Derby

The last winner of the Arkansas Derby to go onto win the Kentucky Derby was the classy American Pharoah in 2015. While prior to that we’ve only seen two more horses do the double – Sunny’s Halo in 1983 and Smarty Jones in 2004.

5 of the Last 7 Arkansas Derby Favorites Have Won

The Arkansas Derby is a race that the favorites have done well in recently. Since 2014, the race has produced six winning market leaders – including 5 of the last 7.

Last year’s winner Cyberknife (watch below) wasn’t, however, the favorite, but instead won at 58/10 – with the market leader Secret Oath (3rd), who later went onto win the Kentucky Oaks, as the favorite that day.

At the moment, Reincarnate is the racebooks favorite for the 2023 Arkansas Derby, so will be trying to uphold the decent recent record of those at the head of the betting.

Forte The 2023 Kentucky Derby Favorite

The current Kentucky Derby favourite – Forte – is also in action this weekend in the Florida Derby. The Todd Pletcher-trained 3 year-old will need to overcome gate 11 to win again and maintain his position at the head of the Churchill Downs betting, but many feel he’s up to the task.

Forte is the current 3/1 favorite for the Kentucky Derby on May 6, with Arabian Knight (8/1), Practical Move (10/1), Tapit Trice (10/1) and last weekend’s Louisiana Derby winner Kingsbarns (12/1) others to note in the betting.