Kentucky Derby 2023: Results, Winner, Payouts and Comments After 149th Race
The 149th running of the Kentucky Derby wasn't as shocking as last year's race, when Rich Strike went from last-minute alternate to champion. However, the Derby's winner, Mage, was still a 15-1 long shot.
Trained by Gustavo Delgado and jockeyed by Javier Castellano, Mage was not among the favorites and came in off a second-place finish at the Florida Derby. The odds-on favorite, Forte, was among five horses scratched before the race.
It was an incredible finish for Mage, who came from the outside late to shoot past Two Phil's and Angel of Empire, who finished second and third, respectively.
Up next for Delgado and his team is the decision on whether to run Mage at the Preakness Stakes and try for the fabled Triple Crown title. The second jewel at Pimlico is scheduled for May 20, and there will be plenty of intrigue heading into race day. Here, we'll recap the action from the 2023 Kentucky Derby.
Order of Finish and Prize Payout
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1. Mage - $1.86 million
2. Two Phil's - $600,000
3. Angel of Empire - $300,000
4. Disarm - $150,000
5. Hit Show - $90,000
6. Derma Sotogake
7. Tapit Trice
8. Raise Cain
9. Rocket Can
10. Confidence Game
11. Sun Thunder
12. Mandarin Hero
13. Reincarnate
14. Kingsbarns
15. King Russell
16. Verifying
17. Jace's Road
18. Cyclone Mischief
Race Recap
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While Mage wasn't a true dark horse, the win was still a surprise—and a welcome one for some bettors. A $2 wager on Mage to win paid out $32.42, according to Jace Evans of USA Today, while a $2 exacta wager paid $330.44.
Mage's late break was thrilling but was all part of Castellano's patient plan for the race.
"I just let him roll little by little," Castellano said, per Bill Marshall of the Aiken Standard. "I knew when I asked him, it would be like pushing a button. I knew he would give me everything he had."
With a Derby victory in hand, Mage's racing team will think carefully about the next steps and the Preakness.
"Mage has to want the Triple Crown," co-owner Ramiro A. Restrepo told reporters. "... It's never going to be at the expense of the horse. If my guy is feeling the way he's feeling, then on to Baltimore and crab cakes we go."
The health of the horse will be front and center following what has been a tragic week at Churchill Downs. A total of seven horses died during the week, including two trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. His suspension led to the scratching of Lord Miles from the race.
"The suspension prohibits Joseph, or any trainer directly or indirectly employed by Joseph, from entering horses in races or applying for stall occupancy at all CDI-owned racetracks," Churchill Downs Inc. said in a statement.
Forte was scratched on the day of the race because of a bruised foot.
"We did X-rays, we brought in vets, the state vets came in, and they watched him every single day," Forte's co-owner Mike Repole said in an interview with FanDuel TV (h/t Beth Harris of the Associated Press. "He's fine. He probably needs a couple more days [to recover]."
It's fair to wonder how Forte would have fared if allowed to run. The Todd A. Pletcher-trained colt was on a five-race winning streak, including at the Florida Derby, where Mage was the runner-up.
And perhaps, the horse that last finished behind the favorite shouldn't have been 15-1 after the favorite was scratched. There's a chance that Forte and Mage will go head-to-head again at the Preakness.
Odds via KentuckyDerby.com.
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