With the first monster horse race of the year nearly here, and the Kentucky Derby odds moving all over, race favorite Forte is going through it at the moment. Well, really, the horse isn’t. His trainer and owner are.
Various people are reporting that owner, Mike Repole, was making the case for Forte to be ran. Prior to a decision being made, the horse’s entire team huddled.
Owner Mike Repole and trainer Todd Pletcher huddle with vet Nick Smith, pic.twitter.com/H5eYTj6MtC
— rickbozich (@rickbozich) May 6, 2023
Buried the lede a bit here, but the horse has been ruled out of the Kentucky Derby.
Latest Kentucky Derby Odds Following Forte Being Scratched
Before we get to the grit here, it’s worth noting Forte was a 3-1 favorite to win the entire shebang.
Most reputable sportsbooks, at least at the time for this writing (we’ll update this post with more information as the day develops), have not yet adjusted the lines to reflect the status of the favorite.
Nevertheless, according to FanDuel, Practical Move, Angel of Empire, and Tapit Thrice are still the three most heavily favorited heading into the Derby before a slight drop in odds begins with Two Phil’s.
The Kentucky Derby is one of the oldest and most prestigious horse races in the world. It takes place annually on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race was first held in 1875 and has been run every year since, with the exception of 2020, when it was postponed until September due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For context, in terms of betting Kentucky Derby odds, favorites have historically had a decent chance of winning the historic race. According to data from the Kentucky Derby’s official website, the favorite has won the race 52 times out of the 147 times it has been run, which is a win rate of approximately 35 percent. However, there have been many upsets over the years, and longshots have also had their fair share of success. For example, in 2019, a horse named Country House won the Kentucky Derby at odds of 65-1 after Maximum Security, who had crossed the finish line first, was disqualified for interference.
