Per week that noticed quite a few horses scratched from the sector culminated with Mage profitable the 149th operating of the Kentucky Derby.

Verifying, Kingsbarns and Reincarnate received out of the gate robust, adopted by Two Phil’s as the sector got here to the backstretch. Verifying was on the within with Kingsbarns on the surface, and that’s when Two Phil’s made a transfer as the sector got here to the stretch. However then Mage broke robust on the surface to the road, coming throughout forward of Two Phil’s and Angel of Empire.

Mage was given 17-1 odds at publish time. It was additionally the primary Kentucky Derby victory for jockey Javier Castellano, in his sixteenth Kentucky Derby.

Here’s a have a look at the end:

The sector was shaken up a number of occasions earlier than the Derby. The week started with three horses — Sensible Transfer, Lord Miles, and Continuar — scratched from the sector. Sensible Transfer was scratched for a fever, and Continuar’s coach didn’t assume the horse was in the perfect situation for an occasion such because the Kentucky Derby.

Lord Miles was scratched following deaths of two horses earlier within the week educated by Saffie Joseph Jr., additionally the coach of Lord Miles. Churchill Downs introduced an indefinite suspension of the coach because of the “unexplained sudden deaths.”

Then got here the shocker on Saturday, with phrase that Forte, the early favourite, was scratched on account of an harm suffered throughout coaching on Thursday. Forte went out for a exercise on Saturday morning however phrase got here shortly after that the favourite was out. Skinner was scratched as nicely, leaving simply 18 horses within the discipline.

With Forte — who started the week listed as the favourite at 5-1 — out of the sector Tapit Trice (9-2) and Angel of Empire (9-2) moved into place as co-favorites early on Saturday. However these odds shifted late within the day, as Angel of Empire moved into place as the favourite.

Kentucky Derby 2023 purse and prize cash

The Kentucky Derby is by far probably the most profitable race of the Triple Crown. The Kentucky Derby pays out twice as a lot in its whole purse because the Preakness Stakes and 3 times as a lot because the Belmont Stakes. The full purse for the Derby is $3 million, to be cut up among the many high 5 finishers. As well as, the profitable jockey will obtain a ten % minimize of the prize cash, whereas the second and third place jockeys obtain a 5 % minimize.

Right here is how immediately’s top-five finishers will divide the purse:

First place end: $1.86 million
Second place end: $600,000
Third place end: $300,000
Fourth place end: $150,000
Fifth place end: $90,000

What had been the percentages for the race?

Forte, listed at 3-1, started the week as the favourite, adopted by Tapit Trice (5-1), Angel of Empire (8-1), and Derma Sotogake (10-1). However with Forte being scratched, the percentages shifted over the course of Saturday. Angel of Empire and Tapit Trice had been listed as co-favorites for many of the day.

Nonetheless that shifted shortly earlier than publish time, because of a widely known particular person within the betting world. A big wager on Angel of Empire from none apart from Mattress Mack — made throughout NBC’s protection — pushed the Brad H. Cox-trained horse into the favourite’s spot:

NBC’s Steve Kornacki was doing a dwell section as Mattress Mack positioned his wager, and the NBC analyst was fast to notice that the percentages would instantly shift consequently:

Right here had been the percentages shortly earlier than publish time, and after the wager from Mattress Mack:

Up subsequent? The Preakness Stakes

Mage will now goal for the second leg of the Triple Crown on the Preakness Stakes. The Preakness is scheduled for Might 20 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland.

Horse racing followers haven’t seen a Triple Crown winner since Justify completed the feat, known as some of the tough challenges in all of sports activities, in 2018. American Pharoah — no stranger to us right here at SB Nation — received the Triple Crown again in 2015.

Just a few horses have come shut in recent times. Again in 2012 I’ll Have One other received the primary two legs, however was scratched from the Belmont Stakes with a leg harm. Throughout the 2014 season California Chrome received the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, however settled for fourth place at Belmont.