Outsiders To Watch On The 2023 Road To The Kentucky Derby
There are several horses that people view as obvious contenders for the 2023 Kentucky Derby.
Everyone is familiar with 2022 two-year-old champion Forte, who is a three-time Grade I stakes winner and has looked impressive in every lifetime start. He has 40 total points on the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard, and he has yet to start in 2023; reportedly, trainer Todd Pletcher is eyeing a start in the Grade II Fountain of Youth Stakes on March 4th.
Equally notable are winners of 2023 graded prep races. There is a considerable following for Grade III Southwest Stakes winner Arabian Knight, Grade III Lecomte Stakes winner Instant Coffee, and Grade II Risen Star Stakes Angel of Empire. You can find more information about it here: twinspires.com/kentuckyderby/
However, these horses are not likely to provide much value to their backers in their upcoming Derby prep races. Instead, punters may want to look toward some of the less accomplished, but still clearly talented, horses on the leaderboard.
Here are some outsiders to keep an eye on in the 2023 Road To The Kentucky Derby, while the event will take place on the 6th of May.
Jace’s Road
While Jace’s Road ran an uninspiring race when finishing fifth in the aforementioned Southwest, his previous win in the Gun Runner Stakes was impressive enough to give him another shot down the road. The son of Quality Road and the Silver Deputy mare Out Post led gate to wire in the 1 1/16th mile race and won by over five lengths while under wraps.
Jace’s Road is from the barn of Brad Cox, who appears to have an embarrassment of equine riches preparing for this year’s Triple Crown: Jace’s Road’s stablemates include the aforementioned Instant Coffee and Angel of Empire, as well as Verifying, who is further down this list.
Denington
This gray son of Gun Runner out of the Congrats mare Stronger Than Ever has not ever won a stakes, but he has encouraging stakes experience. Denington followed a maiden victory with a late rally to reach fifth in the Grade II Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes, and then went on to finish third in the Smarty Jones Stakes and fourth in the Lecomte Stakes.
Most impressive, however, is the colt’s most recent start. Although the race was an ungraded allowance race at the Fair Grounds, he faced formidable competition in the highly regarded Banishing and First Defender. Denington went four wide to push his way to the front and got his neck across the line first. In addition, Denington has a win over the Churchill Downs strip, which is always a positive point for a Kentucky Derby hopeful.
Verifying
Verifying is possibly the best-bred horse on the Kentucky Derby leaderboard. He is by Triple Crown winner Justify and out of the Repent mare Diva Delite, making him a half-brother to champion Midnight Bisou. Although he, like Denington, has yet to win a stakes race, he was second in the Grade I Champagne Stakes as a two-year-old. He then was sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile but made his three-year-old debut in a one-mile allowance race at Oaklawn Park.
He stalked the pace before putting in his run at the top of the stretch and widening to a 5 ¼ length victory. He received a 97 Beyer Speed figure for his effort, and his race was the fastest mile of the Oaklawn meet. The Brad Cox trainee is listed as a probable entrant for the Grade II Rebel Stakes, which will be held on February 25th at Oaklawn Park.
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