It’s the first Saturday in May, and in Louisville, Ky., that can only mean one thing: it’s Kentucky Derby Day.

Each year on this day (aside from the delayed, no-spectator race in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), a large field of 3-year-old Thoroughbreds step out onto the esteemed Churchill Downs oval to compete for the garland of roses—one of the highest honors in horse racing.

Steeped in tradition, the Kentucky Derby is the first leg in American racing’s Triple Crown, followed by the Preakness Stakes in Maryland two weeks later and the Belmont Stakes in New York three weeks after that. Only 13 horses in history have achieved the feat of sweeping all three races, and only two have done so since 1978.

But before a horse has a shot at etching his name in the Triple Crown history books, he must first overcome the greatest two minutes in sports: the Kentucky Derby.

This year—after multiple scratches in the final days leading up to the race, including the forced scratch of Lord Miles as a result of the suspension of trainer Saffie Joseph and the scratch of morning line favorite Forte this morning—the field will feature 18 horses. Just shy of its full capacity of 20 horses, all three also-eligible entries drew in as a result of the scratches. Of course, an also-eligible upset the Derby last year when Rich Strike shocked the world at 80-1 odds from the #21 post.

The 2023 Kentucky Derby Field

Will another long shot take everyone by surprise at the Churchill Downs finish line this year?

Any horse that breaks from the starting gate has a shot—and that’s what creates so much anticipation, excitement, and, of course, betting strategies. Let’s take a look at each horse in this year’s Kentucky Derby.

1. Hit Show (30-1)
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Manuel Franco
Race Record: 5 starts: 3 wins, 1 second, 0 thirds
Career Earnings: $404,375

Second by just a nose last out in the Wood Memorial, Hit Show is one of four entrants for trainer Brad Cox. His only finish out of the money did come at Churchill Downs as a 2-year-old, but this long shot is on the improve.

2. Verifying (15-1)
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione
Race Record: 6 starts: 2 wins, 2 seconds, 0 thirds
Career Earnings: $489,900

In his last start, Verifying finished only a neck behind morning line second choice Tapit Trice in the Blue Grass. He has yet to achieve a win in graded stakes company, but at the best of his game, his speed figures are among the best in the field. He will need that kind of effort to stay with the best here.

3. Two Phil’s (12-1)
Trainer: Larry Rivelli
Jockey: Jareth Loveberry
Race Record: 8 starts: 4 wins, 1 second, 1 third
Career Earnings: $683,450

Among the six entering the Derby off of a win, Two Phil’s was a dominant winner of his final prep, but that came on a synthetic surface. He has finished behind the likes of fellow contenders Forte, Confidence Game, Angel of Empire and Sun Thunder. He will need to repeat the level of his last effort, but he will have many fans cheering for him.

4. Confidence Game (20-1)
Trainer: Keith Desormeaux
Jockey: James Graham
Race Record: 7 starts: 3 wins, 1 second, 2 thirds
Career Earnings: $785,525

Out of a half-sister to the great race mare Zenyatta, Confidence Game has not run since February 25, but that race resulted in a win in the Rebel Stakes. He has won twice in four starts at Churchill, but with over two months since his last race and speed figures that show room for improvement, a win would take a lifetime best effort.

5. Tapit Trice (5-1)
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Luis Saez
Race Record: 5 starts: 4 wins, 0 seconds, 1 third
Career Earnings: $883,650

The second choice on the morning line, Tapit Trice is the stablemate of scratched morning line favorite Forte. Undefeated in 2023, the gray colt enters the Kentucky Derby off of wins in the 2023 Blue Grass Stakes and Tampa Bay Derby. He has done nothing wrong this year.

6. Kingsbarns (12-1)
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
Race Record: 3 starts: 3 wins, 0 seconds, 0 thirds
Career Earnings: $657,300

One of the most lightly raced horses in this field with only three starts, all of which have been as a 3-year-old, he is nonetheless defeated in each of those. An easy winner of the Louisiana Derby last out, it’s difficult to knock this colt for anything other than his lack of experience.

7. Reincarnate (50-1)
Trainer: Tim Yakteen
Jockey: John Velazquez
Race Record: 7 starts: 2 wins, 3 seconds, 2 thirds
Career Earnings: $345,650

Third behind Angel of Empire and King Russell last out in the Arkansas Derby, Reincarnate has not won since the Sham Stakes in January. As his races have gotten longer, his speed figures have dropped, which is cause for concern.

8. Mage (15-1)
Trainer: Gustavo Delgado
Jockey: Javier Castellano
Race Record: 3 starts: 1 win, 1 second, 0 thirds
Career Earnings: $247,200

Another contender with only three lifetime starts, Mage enters the Derby after nearly dethroning Champion 2-Year-Old and Derby morning line favorite Forte in the Florida Derby. Second there, this is a colt full of potential.

9. SCRATCHED

10. SCRATCHED

11. Disarm (30-1)
Trainer: Steve Asmussen
Jockey: Joel Rosario
Race Record: 5 starts: 1 win, 2 seconds, 2 thirds
Career Earnings: $327,850

Trained by racing’s all-time winningest trainer Steve Asmussen, Disarm is a spitting image of his champion sire, Gun Runner. He has only won in maiden company and despite twice finishing in the money in graded Derby preps, it will take a large jump in performance for Disarm to upset the Kentucky Derby.

12. Jace’s Road (50-1)
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Florent Geroux
Race Record: 6 starts: 2 wins, 0 seconds, 2 thirds
Career Earnings: $238,050

Jace’s Road has a very hit-or-miss race record, and has not won since a black-type stakes win as a 2-year-old in December. Effectively defeated in the Southwest Stakes and Louisiana Derby, Jace’s Road has the highest odds of the four Brad Cox entrants.

13. Sun Thunder (50-1)
Trainer: Kenny McPeek
Jockey: Brian Hernandez, Jr.
Race Record: 6 starts: 1 win, 1 second, 1 third
Career Earnings: $247,500

Out of the money in his last two starts and out of the winner’s circle since his maiden win as a 2-year-old on New Year’s Eve, Sun Thunder has been soundly defeated by a number of fellow Derby contenders. He does get blinkers added for this race to try to get him focused on the race earlier, but the question is if that will make enough difference.

14. Angel of Empire (8-1)
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Flavien Prat
Race Record: 6 starts: 4 wins, 1 seconds, 0 thirds
Career Earnings: $1,069,375

Angel of Empire enters off of two Derby prep wins, including a dominant victory in the April 1 Arkansas Derby. This colt has steadily improved over the course of his career, and seems to be peaking at the right time.

15. SCRATCHED

16. Raise Cain (50-1)
Trainer: Ben Colebrook
Jockey: Gerardo Corrales
Race Record: 7 starts: 2 wins, 1 second, 1 third
Career Earnings: $296,328

Raise Cain dominated the Gotham Stakes in the mud two starts back, but was a disappointing fifth in the Blue Grass Stakes behind Tapit Trice next out. His only other win came in maiden company, hence the 50-1 odds.

17. Derma Sotogake (10-1)
Trainer: Hidetaka Otonashi
Jockey:Christophe Lemaire
Race Record: 8 starts: 4 wins, 0 seconds, 2 thirds
Career Earnings: $1,162,164

Despite the scratch of Continuar, Japan is still represented by two runners in Derma Sotogake and Mandarin Hero. A runaway winner of the UAE Derby in Dubai last out, Derma Sotogake looks to continue the wave of Japanese success on the world’s biggest racing stage. A Kentucky Derby win eludes the country, but this colt looks like he just may have the chance to make history.

18. Rocket Can (30-1)
Trainer: Bill Mott
Jockey: Junior Alvarado
Race Record: 7 starts: 2 wins, 2 seconds, 0 thirds
Career Earnings: $383,413

Although Rocket Can kicked off the year with a win in the Holy Bull Stakes, he has regressed since then. Most recently fourth as the beaten favorite in the Arkansas Derby, Rocket Can has the expertise of Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott on his side but may be past his peak.

19. SCRATCHED

20. SCRATCHED

21. Cycle Mischief (30-1)
Trainer: Dale Romans
Jockey: Irad Ortiz, Jr.
Race Record: 7 starts: 2 wins, 0 seconds, 3 thirds
Career Earnings: $246,350

Drawing in as an also-eligible, Cycle Mischief has never won a stakes race. He has, however, been third behind favorite Forte in his last two starts so has proven he can be competitive against the best. However, to defeat them, it will take his best performance yet.

22. Mandarin Hero (20-1)
Trainer: Terunobu Fujita
Jockey: Kazushi Kimura
Race Record: 6 starts: 4 wins, 2 seconds, 0 thirds
Career Earnings: $386,854

The other contender for Japan, Mandarin Hero was second by just a nose in the Santa Anita Derby behind the scratched Practical Move in his most recent start—which was also his first race stateside. His only other loss also came at a narrow margin, and his Santa Anita speed figure is among the best in the field. Could it be fate that he drew into the race?

23. King Russell (50-1)
Trainer: Ron Moquett
Jockey: Rafael Bejarano
Race Record: 6 starts: 1 win, 3 seconds, 0 thirds
Career Earnings: $322,350

It took this colt five tries to finally break his maiden, but he seemed to have figured it out then, as he finished second in the grade one Arkansas Derby in his very next start. He’d have to make another massive leap here to spring the upset.

Regardless of who you pick, the 2023 Kentucky Derby is sure to be full of excitement. If you don’t want to miss a second of the action, tune in to NBC today from 12:00 to 7:30 p.m. ET, with various other races on the undercard throughout the day before the Derby starting gates open at 6:57 ET. Coverage is also available to stream live on NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app and Peacock.

This preview of the 2023 Kentucky Derby is a web exclusive for Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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After a two-year absence, the world’s longest and toughest horse race, The Mongol Derby, thundered across Mongolia’s steppe for eight days. In one of the closest races ever, an American became the co-winner, with her home state of Wyoming claiming its second winner.

Based on the ancient horse messenger system used by Genghis Khan, in a country where the horse is king, the 1,000-kilometer (621-mile) Derby is the toughest test on the planet for equestrian endurance riders. While horses are changed roughly every 21 miles at checkpoints strung out throughout the country, riders must endure being in the saddle for up to 100 miles a day and face the challenges of riding over 28 different semi-wild horses, with varying temperaments and bucking abilities, the inevitable falls and mishaps that happen along the way and navigating through challenging terrain, from giant sand dunes to freezing mountain passes.

After the pandemic forced the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 editions, the twelfth Mongol Derby kicked off on July 23rd and looked set to be one of the most fiercely contested races to date, with 46 riders from 10 different nations competing for the prestigious win.

Day 1

Day one saw young Kiwi pair Sam Edney and Annie Hackett take an early lead, as other racers suffered navigational errors and falls.

Day 2

By the end of day two, riders had found their groove and four had caught the Kiwis, as six riders bunked down together at station six (the race is made up of 28 stations strung out along the route). Riders aim to be at one by the end of the riding day, but can opt to, or unintentionally, “wild camp” or try and find a friendly Mongolian family with space in a ger (traditional hut home).

Day 3

By day three, riders were pulling out of the race with bruised and battered bodies, while others served time penalties for riding past cut-off times the night before. The names changed, but the end of the day still saw six riders neck and neck, among them Irishman Patrick Heffron and Brit Chris Walker.

Day 4

The pair’s navigational knowledge saw them take a slender lead on day four as the race hit some serious mountainous terrain and the weather deteriorated to “cold, wet and miserable”—a sudden change for a field up until now more concerned with getting enough water on board than shaking it off.

Day 5

Day five, the pair kept their lead as they chose to wild camp only 18 minutes ahead of a chasing pack of seven, including American Deirdre Griffith (who was at the very back of the pack at the end of day one!) and South African Willemein Jooste.

Days 6, 7, and 8

Patrick and Chris rode out front through days six and seven, but never with enough of a lead to relax and—with just a few hours riding left—on the final day (day eight, the morning of the 30th), Deirdre and Willemein passed them. It was a perfect example of how tackling the Derby as a team can carry you a long way. Teams can share navigation, help each other out of scrapes, and generally keep up morale.

They crossed the finish line together to win the toughest horse race on the planet, leaving Chris and Patrick to finish just behind to take joint third.

Deirdre, 34 from Jackson Hole, became the second person in a row from Wyoming to win the race after Bob Long in 2019, whom she spoke to before the race.

At the finish line, she commented on being at the back of the race on day one:

“That was demoralizing. I decided with fellow rider Lena Haug at start camp that we would head the straightest route. We underestimated the elevation and so it took us a long time to reach station 1. That was one of my best horses of the Derby and it’s a bit of a shame I didn’t get to race him against the front of the pack. Overall though, I think it was a blessing as I wasn’t running with the front runners and pushing my horses out of competitiveness. My strategy never changed throughout the whole race: Race my race and ride the horse I’m on.”

Highlights of the race included overtaking the leaders right at the end of the race:

“The high was the last day where we made a great [navigational] choice and had an opening to overtake the front runners we’d been chasing for so many days.”

And experiencing the local culture:

“We had many experiences staying with families. They all stick out in my memory for different reasons. What really struck me was their generosity to take in complete strangers and give us food off their tables and space in their gers.”

Her motivations for taking part in the world’s toughest horse race included inspiring her children:

“This race has always piqued my interest as an epic challenge both mentally and physically. Traveling on horseback is the best way to see a new country, and getting to interact with the locals in such a horse-oriented culture was really special. One of my main reasons for competing in this race is to show my girls (5 and 6 years old) that they should dream big, and they can achieve anything they set their minds to with hard work and determination.”

As well as raising funds for treating post-partum depression:

“I raised over $100,000 for the St. John’s foundation. We created a parental mental wellness program that helps new parents get access to mental healthcare after they have their children. I struggled with post-partum depression after both of my kids, and it was really important to me to help put systems in place that made accessing mental healthcare much easier and more affordable.”

To learn more or to donate, visit Deirdre’s website, and for more details on the world’s toughest horse race, which is run by British company The Adventurists, visit www.equestrianists.com.

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A rash of horse deaths at California’s Santa Anita Park made international headlines and was so far-reaching that it changed the horse racing industry forever.

Official Investigations

Between the beginning of July 2018 and the end of June 2019, 49 horses either died or were euthanized as a result of injuries they sustained while training or racing at Santa Anita Park. Out of the 49 horses, 39 were attributed to catastrophic breakdowns during racing or training. The most equine fatalities took place between December 2018 and the end of March 2019, when a total of 25 horses died at the California racetrack.

In response, track operators asked Mick Peterson, Ph.D., director of Equine Programs and the Racetrack Safety Program and professor of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering at the University of Kentucky, to thoroughly examine the surface conditions at Santa Anita. Peterson also serves as the executive director of the Racing Surfaces Testing Laboratory. His evaluation revealed that there was no track surface-related link to the fatalities.

Meanwhile, the California Horse Racing Board (CHRB) launched its own investigation into the deaths, and in April 2019, then-L.A. County District Attorney Jackie Lacey announced that her office had formed a task force to probe the incidents. That report absolved the operators of Santa Anita Park of wrongdoing in connection with the deaths.

Reforms

The series of deaths spawned reforms at Santa Anita, however. These ranged from the regular testing of the track’s surface to changing the way trainers get permission to work their horses.

Specifically, a team at Santa Anita that includes Peterson routinely conducts biomechanical tests. These involve a machine that mimics a galloping horse to collect data on deceleration, sliding, surface elasticity, and energy absorption.

In addition, ground penetrating radar is used to measure the depth of the surface layers every 10 centimeters along the track, and chemical and X-ray diffraction tests analyze track samples for density, moisture content, and mineralogical qualities.

Reforms also include strict limitations on the use of pain or anti-inflammatory medications, as well as treatments, such as joint injections, shockwave therapy, and anabolic steroids in horses.

Finally, trainers must apply for permission to work a horse in a timed, high-speed training exercise at least 48 hours in advance, and they must submit pre-entry vet forms before entering a horse for an upcoming race day so that the track’s veterinary staff have more time to identify any questionable horses.

The Role of Rain

Despite the new rules, some racehorse welfare advocates are still puzzled over the exact cause of the fatalities at Santa Anita in the first place.

“Was it the surface or the weather or the use of drugs?” Peterson asks. “I’d say all of the above.”

Before the track’s deadliest day was recorded, Santa Anita received 11½ inches of rain and had unusually cold temperatures. The wet weather hardened track surfaces, turning them potentially dangerous.

“Tracks are maintained by harrowing, grooming, and moisture control, but we had some bad weather—more than 11 inches of rain and cold temperatures in February 2019,” says Peterson. “Track surfaces became hard mostly due to the rain.”

This was documented by Peterson, who was involved in this investigation and who is still a consultant for Santa Anita.

Law Creates New Agency

The series of deaths at Santa Anita put the horse racing industry in the national spotlight, which resulted in the passage of HR 1754, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act of 2020. Signed into law in December 2020, the Act establishes the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority, a conflict-free, self-regulatory organization set up to create and implement an anti-doping policy for the entire horse racing industry.

In addition, the Act forbids the use of all medication within 24 hours of a race, and charges the Authority with developing a racetrack safety program to establish a uniform set of training and racing safety standards and protocols, including racetrack design and maintenance, and oversight of human and equine injury reporting and prevention.

The Act also charges the Authority with establishing procedures for undertaking investigations at racetrack and non-racetrack facilities related to safety violations, and requires sellers to provide full and fair information disclosures to buyers of racehorse breeding stock.

HR 1754 represents the first federal equine welfare legislation in 50 years, since the passing of the Horse Protection Act (HPA). The HPA was passed by Congress and subsequently signed into law by then-President Richard M. Nixon on Dec. 9, 1970, and criminalized soring, the deliberate injury to a horse’s feet or legs to achieve the high-stepping, so-called Big Lick gait seen in gaited horses.

Although long overdue, this next step in equine welfare protection is a positive sign of progress if the racing industry is to move forward.

This article about horse racing at Santa Anita originally appeared in the August 2021 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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Visit Horse Country Tours

If you’re itching to experience all things Kentucky and great equine destinations, but aren’t sure where to start, stop by the Visit Horse Country website.

With tours of Thoroughbred breeding farms and nurseries, sport horse farms, feed mills, retired racehorse facilities, training tracks and equine clinics, you will find a tour for even the pickiest sightseer.

Red Mile Racetrack

Though the state is best known for Thoroughbreds, Standardbred racehorses rule at the Red Mile Racetrack. The second-oldest harness track in the world, visitors will love getting close to the horses in the paddock and watching live racing set against the backdrop of downtown Lexington.

The Kentucky Horse Park

With 1,200 acres devoted to celebrating the history of human’s relationship with the horse, the Kentucky Horse Park is a massive theme park for horse lovers, and it’s also a working horse farm.

It is jam-packed with special events and competitions and educational options—museums, exhibits, tours, sculptures, and live horses who live there. You’ll need multiple hours (if not days!) to see everything that interests you. On your don’t-miss list: the Parade of Breeds, trolley tour and the Hall of Champions.

Keeneland Race Course

Without a doubt one of the most beautiful racetracks in the world, Keeneland should make your to-do list even if the horses aren’t running. Races are held only in April and October, but horses train on the grounds year-round.

The Keeneland gift shop is perfect for souvenir hunting, and the world-class Thoroughbred auctions offer jaw-dropping sales prices on horses ranging from blue-blooded weanlings to Breeders’ Cup champions. Check the calendar for racing and sales dates.

Churchill Downs

Though Churchill Downs is the iconic home of the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May, its location may surprise you. Set in Louisville, the track is surrounded by homes and businesses, smack-dab in the middle of the city.

Make sure you block off enough time to visit the interactive Kentucky Derby Museum and schedule a tour of the racing complex. With everything from historic walking tours and breakfast experiences to racehorse workouts and backside tours, there’s sure to be at least one (and probably more!) that strikes your fancy.

Paris

If a small-town feel is more your scene, head to Bourbon County, Ky., home to some of the state’s most iconic Thoroughbred breeding farms. The quaint downtown offers shopping, dining and the Bourbon County Horse Walk of Fame.

Encompassing nine blocks on Main Street, the walk has 60 concrete markers boasting a Bourbon County horse’s name, its farm, its accomplishments and a pair of its shoes. Be sure to snap a pic of number seven: Secretariat.

The Louisville Slugger Museum

Break away from the horses with a stop at the Louisville Slugger Museum—we promise it’s a worthwhile pit stop.

Learn the story behind the world-famous “crack of the bat” and the family that has created baseball bats since 1884. With behind-the-scenes tours, ever-changing curated exhibits and a factory outlet, you’ll be amazed at what you didn’t know about the great American pastime.

Kentucky Cuisine & Beverages

Kentucky is famous for more than Colonel Sanders’ KFC—although the chicken IS tasty, and the café and museum are worth a visit if you’re headed through Corbin!

But no one does “local” quite like Lexington. If you’re interested in the who’s who of Thoroughbred racing, be sure to check out Wallace Station, the Track Kitchen at Keeneland, Carson’s Food and Drink, and the Merrick Inn.

No matter where you are, check the main menu for favorites like burgoo, hot browns and Benedictine spread; the dessert menu for Derby Pie, bread pudding, and bourbon balls; and the drink menu for anything bourbon or locally brewed beer.

Want to make a day of it? Kentucky offers world-class tours of numerous bourbon distilleries on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. There’s also the Brewgrass Trail, the Coffee and Donut Trail, and the Beer Cheese Trail.

If nature is more your thing, there are some of America’s best hiking trails at places like Natural Bridge, Red River Gorge and Mammoth Cave, home to the world’s longest known cave system.

This article about equine destinations in Kentucky appeared in the June 2021 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!

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