Kentucky Derby 2023 Odds: Post Positions Info and Vegas Lines for All Horses

The 2023 Kentucky Derby field changed with Forte scratched on Saturday morning.

Tapit Trice and Angel of Empire filled the favorite role that Forte owned for the days building up to the first leg of the Triple Crown.

The pair of co-favorites are joined by Derma Sotogake and Two Phil's as the only horses with odds lower than 10-1 hours before the race.

The Derby champion will likely come from that quartet, but there is always the chance that a second straight long shot ends up in the winner's circle.

Kentucky Derby Odds and Post Positions

4. Confidence Game (16-1)

14. Angel of Empire (9-2)

21. Cyclone Mischief (33-1)

Forte's departure from the field opened up a better chance for Tapit Trice and Angel of Empire to win.

Both horses could have clear starts and end up meeting each other for a showdown on the final stretch of the 1 1/4-mile race.

Two Phil's is one of the most experienced horses in the field. He has raced six times since last June and twice before at Churchill Downs.

Derma Sotogake is the best foreign horse in the Derby. The Japanese horse is coming off a win at the UAE Derby, which is one of the most prestigious overseas races.

Sometimes everything does not go to plan in the Derby. Take Rich Strike winning as a 80-1 replacement horse last year as an example. In 2021, Mandaloun won with final odds of 12-1.

Two of the favored horses in 2021 and 2022 finished in the top three, but they could not hold off the surprising victors.

It is difficult to see another Rich Strike situation happening on Saturday, though. All three of the horses that entered as replacements are listed at 20-1 or higher. They all could struggle to get to the front with Angel of Empire and Derma Sotogake also starting on the outside.

The better upset picks start on the inside posts, including Hit Show and Verifying. Hit Show is coming off a second-place finish at the Wood Memorial, and Verifying finished second in the Blue Grass Stakes in his final Derby prep race.

Hit Show (Manny Franco) and Verifying (Tyler Gaffalione) both have jockeys who have won at least one Triple Crown race. John R. Velazquez, who won the Derby in 2011, 2017 and 2020, is aboard Reincarnate. The third-place finisher from the Arkansas Derby could be a preferred long-shot candidate if you value jockey experience at Churchill Downs.