Kentucky Derby picks and predictions following Forte late scratch

Big news has come from Churchill Downs the morning of the Kentucky Derby.

The betting favorite, Forte, is has been scratched from today’s big event.

That throws a wrench into everyone’s handicapping and now the field has become a little more wide open. He’s not the only horse that has been scratched. Skinner, Practical Move, Lord Miles, and Continuar have also all been scratched throughout the week.

Let’s take a look at the latest odds to win today’s big race.

Kentucky Derby odds

The odds listed below are available at FanDuel Sportsbook

1. Hit Show: 27-1

2. Verifying 17-1

3. Two Phil’s: 7-1

4. Confidence Game: 16-1

5. Tapit Twice: 9-2

6. Kingsbarns: 10-1

7. Reincarnate: 12-1

8. Mage: 8-1

11. Disarm: 24-1

12. Jace’s Road: 32-1

13. Sun Thunder: 29-1

14. Angel of Empire: 9-2

16. Raise Cain: 30-1

17. Derma Sotogake: 7-1

18. Rocket Can: 27-1

21. Cyclone Mischief: 33-1

22. Mandarin Hero: 21-1

23. King Russell: 33-1

Angel of Empire and Tapit Twice are now the cofavorites at 9-2 odds.

Remember, betting on the ponies isn’t the same as betting on other sports. The odds you get are the odds that are set when the race begins. So, there’s unfortunately no such thing as “closing line value” in the world of horse racing.

That means if you bet on a different horse earlier this week, you aren’t holding a valuable ticket now that the odds have shifted.

Thankfully, our very own Brian Giuffra didn’t have Forte in his list of picks that he wrote earlier this week, so if you still want to jump on those, you can check them out here. His best bet for the race is the 14 horse, Angel of Empire.

Kentucky Derby prediction

With Forte out of the lineup, my best bet to win the 2023 edition of the Kentucky Derby is Derma Sotogake, the No. 17 horse.

Derma Sotogake has a chance to become to first every Japanese horse to win the Derby, and there’s good reason to believe he has a very real shot to achieve that feat today.

Two of the last four winners came outside of Post 16, and he’s entering the race in fantastic form. He’s coming off a win at the UAE Derby, where he separated himself from the field by 5 and 1/2 lengths.

He’s also the most experienced horse in the field with eight starts.

Derma Sotogake is listed at 7-1 after Forte was scratched.

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.