Road To The Kentucky Derby Betting Preview And Picks For 2023 Blue Grass Stakes

The Highway to the Kentucky Derby continues Saturday with the ultimate three main prep races on April 8. The most important races and the largest days on the tracks draw essentially the most betting curiosity, and Saturday’s most guess races are the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, Grade 2 Wooden Memorial at Aqueduct and Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby. The highest-5 finishers in every race obtain qualifying factors (100-40-30-20-10) in direction of the Run for the Roses and Could 6 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. All three races are contested at 1 1/8 miles, and betting previews and picks are added in hyperlinks beneath.

• $1 million Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (Race 9 at 5:15 p.m. ET)
• $750,000 Runhappy Santa Anita Derby (Race 6 at 5:43 p.m. ET)
• $750,000 Wooden Memorial (Race 11 at 6:16 p.m. ET)

The Blue Grass Stakes might be televised on NBC as a part of NBC Sports activities’ “Highway to the Kentucky Derby” protection and stay streaming of the largest races is obtainable via FanDuel Racing and likewise proven on FanDuel TV.

Blue Grass Stakes Preview and Picks

FanDuel Racing offers promotions, ideas and added content material for horse racing and the largest races to assist information you to the winners circle. I additionally turned to the specialists at Assured Tip Sheet (GTS) for extra perception and picks for the 2023 Blue Grass Stakes. Morning Line pari-mutuel odds are indicated beneath, and alter on race day as wagering takes place forward of the races.

A full subject of 11 runners are set to run, and #10 Elevate Cain (9/2) has 54 factors on the Derby Path and #1 Tapit Trice (5/2) has 50 and already sufficient factors to safe a spot within the Kentucky Derby. A 4th place end or higher would get #7 Solar Thunder (10/1) and #4 Basic Automobile Wash (12/1) a free move to Louisville and the Kentucky Derby.

Varieties of horse racing bets

Each #3 Verifying (3/1) and #8 Blazing Sevens (6/1) must end 2nd or higher to land a spot within the beginning gate for the Run for the Roses. Additionally, #5 Hayes Strike (15/1) and #6 Scoobie Quando (15/1) must win the Blue Grass to make the Kentucky Derby subject of 20. Identical with the opposite three longshots #2 Clear the Air (30/1), #9 Main Blue (30/1) and #11 Mendelssohns March (20/1).

GTS prime win contenders

• #1 Tapit Trice (5/2)
• #10 Elevate Cain (9/2)

Added horses to fill out exotics and exacta, trifecta or superfecta spots:

• #3 Verifying (3/1)
• #9 Main Blue (30/1)
• #7 Solar Thunder (10/1)

“Tapit Trice gained his final three races and is a constant excessive finish performer and might win from near or off the tempo,” says Assured Tip Sheet of its choose to win the Blue Grass. Tapit Trice was a $1.3 million buy as a yearling again in 2021. He gained the 1 1/16 mile Tampa Bay Derby (G3) because the heavy favourite in a full subject when rallying from off the tempo.

“Elevate Cain ran an electrical late tempo quantity in his final race,” notes Assured Tip Sheet. “An analogous effort right here can be sufficient to make it two wins in a row.”

Verifying is a son of Triple Crown winner Justify. He gained two of three on a quick monitor and ought to be near the tempo all the way in which across the monitor. If the tempo is on the slower facet as anticipated, Verifying holds a major tempo benefit over the remainder of this subject. He should not have any excuses this time after ending fourth over a sloppy floor within the Insurgent Stakes.

Main Blue has among the best combos of early and late tempo within the subject, and he’ll be the early tempo chief and could possibly be a longshot that’s more durable than anticipated to catch and put away.

Hayes Strike returned to successful kind final month in a minor stakes at Laurel Park. He completed within the cash in a pair of Derby preps final fall and has been coaching over the Keeneland monitor for greater than a month. He hasn’t confronted prime competitors like a few of his opponents within the Blue Grass however may make a shocking transfer as a more in-depth if the tempo turns into sooner than anticipated.

The winners and prime finishers in these main prep races together with the Blue Grass Stakes make the Highway to the Kentucky Derby races value watching as you make your bets forward of subsequent months Run for the Roses.

You’ll be able to guess on it.