Kentucky Derby 2023: The Contenders
The Road to the Derby
Horse owners and trainers have been preparing their steeds for months, hoping to earn a spot in the starting gate for the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby. The horses entering the Derby need to earn points in designated Road to the Derby prep races. The top four finishers in each race earn points based on their finishing position. The horse with the most points at the end of the series earns an automatic berth in the Derby.
The Contenders
The 20 horses that have qualified for the 2023 Kentucky Derby are:
1. Epicenter (trained by Steve Asmussen, ridden by Joel Rosario) 2. Forte (trained by Todd Pletcher, ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr.) 3. Crown Pride (trained by Koichi Shintani, ridden by Christophe Lemaire) 4. Classic Causeway (trained by Brian Lynch, ridden by Flavien Prat) 5. Summer Is Tomorrow (trained by Mike Maker, ridden by Jose Ortiz) 6. Messier (trained by Tim Yakteen, ridden by John Velazquez) 7. Zandon (trained by Chad Brown, ridden by Flavien Prat) 8. Mo Donegal (trained by Todd Pletcher, ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr.) 9. Cyberknife (trained by Brad Cox, ridden by Florent Geroux) 10. Emmanuel (trained by Rodolphe Brisset, ridden by Julien Leparoux) 11. Rich Strike (trained by Eric Reed, ridden by Sonny Leon) 12. Barber Road (trained by John Ortiz, ridden by Joel Rosario) 13. Tiz the Bomb (trained by Kenny McPeek, ridden by Manny Franco) 14. White Abarrio (trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., ridden by Tyler Gaffalione) 15. Ethereal Road (trained by D. Wayne Lukas, ridden by Luis Saez) 16. Hidden Connection (trained by Bret Calhoun, ridden by Javier Castellano) 17. Tapit's Conquest (trained by Bob Baffert, ridden by Ramon Vazquez) 18. Pioneer of Medina (trained by Todd Pletcher, ridden by Tyler Gaffalione) 19. Charge It (trained by Todd Pletcher, ridden by Luis Saez) 20. Howling Time (trained by Dale Romans, ridden by Joe Talamo)
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