Kentucky Derby 2023: Caesars futures open with 95 horses
It used to be the only game in town. Now with Kentucky Derby futures, Caesars Sportsbook has competition in Nevada. But as usual, the book that began as William Hill Nevada was the first to open its market for next spring.
Cave Rock, the 3-for-3 Arrogate colt who already has two Grade 1 wins, was made the 15-1 favorite by Caesars oddsmaker Paul Bach in the opening odds for the 2023 Derby. Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, Cave Rock earned a 104 Beyer Speed Figure from his Oct. 8 win in the American Pharoah (G1). That was tied for the best by a 2-year-old in 2022, according to Daily Racing Form.
Like last fall, when Corniche opened as a 15-1 favorite, bettors must roll the dice on who will be training Cave Rock come May 6. Bob Baffert has that role now, but his ban from Churchill Downs because of the Medina Spirit drug controversy of 2021 is not scheduled to expire until after the 2023 Derby. This year Baffert’s Churchill horses were transferred to Tim Yakteen.
That situation also applies to Del Mar Futurity (G1) runner-up Havnameltdown, who was made Caesars’ second Derby choice at 35-1. The Grade 3 winner by Uncaptured also is trained by Baffert and owned by Pegram, Watson and Weitman.
Baffert trains five of the shortest-priced horses in the futures and 11 of the 95 on the entire list.
Forte, who has two Grade 1 wins for trainer Todd Pletcher, and Loggins, the Breeders’ Futurity (G1) runner-up from the Brad Cox stable, were made the joint third choices at 40-1.
The rest of the 2-year-olds listed by Caesars opened at odds between 65-1 and 200-1.
With six of his progeny on the list, 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify had the most of any sire. Of those, Baffert-trained debut winner Arabian Lion had the shortest odds at 75-1.
Caesars will have competition from Circa Sports, which is expected to post its fourth annual Derby futures in December.
Following were the opening Derby odds posted by Caesars on Thursday. They are available only in Nevada.
| Kentucky Derby 2023 | Caesars | Trainer | Sire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cave Rock | 15-1 | Bob Baffert | Arrogate |
| Havnameltdown | 35-1 | Bob Baffert | Uncaptured |
| Forte | 40-1 | Todd Pletcher | Violence |
| Loggins | 40-1 | Brad Cox | Ghostzapper |
| National Treasure | 65-1 | Bob Baffert | Quality Road |
| Arabian Lion | 75-1 | Bob Baffert | Justify |
| Awesome Strong | 75-1 | Jorge Delgado | Awesome Slew |
| Echo Again | 75-1 | Stefe Asmussen | Gun Runner |
| Extra Añejo | 75-1 | Steve Asmussen | Into Mischief |
| Fort Bragg | 75-1 | Bob Baffert | Tapit |
| Lost Ark | 75-1 | Todd Pletcher | Violence |
| Mr. Ripple | 75-1 | Saffie Joseph Jr. | Dialed In |
| Instant Coffee | 85-1 | Brad Cox | Bolt d’Oro |
| Signator | 85-1 | Shug McGaughey | Tapit |
| Tapit’s Conquest | 85-1 | Brad Cox | Tapit |
| Verifying | 85-1 | Brad Cox | Justify |
| Blazing Sevens | 100-1 | Chad Brown | Good Magic |
| Curly Jack | 100-1 | Tom Amoss | Good Magic |
| Disarm | 100-1 | Steve Asmussen | Gun Runner |
| Forbidden Secret | 100-1 | Todd Pletcher | Outwork |
| Gulfport | 100-1 | Steve Asmussen | Uncle Mo |
| Hejazi | 100-1 | Bob Baffert | Bernardini |
| Hit Show | 100-1 | Brad Cox | Candy Ride |
| Honed | 100-1 | Kenny McPeek | Sharp Azteca |
| Jace’s Road | 100-1 | Brad Cox | Quality Road |
| Jackstown | 100-1 | Bob Baffert | Speightstown |
| Mo Strike | 100-1 | Brad Cox | Uncle Mo |
| Practical Move | 100-1 | Tim Yakteen | Practical Joke |
| Red Route One | 100-1 | Steve Asmussen | Gun Runner |
| Speed Boat Beach | 100-1 | Bob Baffert | Bayern |
| Super Chow | 100-1 | Jorge Delgado | Lord Nelson |
| Champions Dream | 125-1 | Danny Gargan | Justify |
| Congruent | 125-1 | Antonio Sano | Tapit |
| Damon’s Mound | 125-1 | Michelle Lovell | Girvin |
| Donegal Surges | 125-1 | Todd Pletcher | Candy Ride |
| Frank’s Honor | 125-1 | Kenny McPeek | Honor Code |
| Frosted Departure | 125-1 | Kenny McPeek | Frosted |
| Hurricane J | 125-1 | Paulo Lobo | Nyquist |
| Newgate | 125-1 | Bob Baffert | Into Mischief |
| Owen’s Leap | 125-1 | Tom Amoss | Bolt d’Oro |
| Tahoma | 125-1 | Doug O’Neill | Justify |
| Top Recruit | 125-1 | Mike Maker | Midshipman |
| Two of a Kind | 125-1 | Brian Lynch | Overanalyze |
| Arctic Arrogance | 135-1 | Linda Rice | Frosted |
| Protégé | 135-1 | Ron Moquett | Good Magic |
| Tres Soles | 135-1 | Steve Asmussen | Justify |
| Tuskegee Airmen | 135-1 | John Servis | Street Sense |
| American Blaze | 150-1 | Ben Colebrook | American Freedom |
| Andiamo a Firenze | 150-1 | Kelly Breen | Speightstown |
| B Minor | 150-1 | Kenny McPeek | Mendelssohn |
| Bourbon Spirit | 150-1 | Brad Cox | Liam’s Map |
| Capture the Flag | 150-1 | Shug McGaughey | Quality Road |
| Carmel Road | 150-1 | Bob Baffert | Quality Road |
| Classical Cat | 150-1 | Phil D’Amato | Mendelssohn |
| Confidence Game | 150-1 | Keith Desormeaux | Candy Ride |
| Full Moon Madness | 150-1 | Michelle Nevin | Into Mischief |
| Gandolfini | 150-1 | Bob Baffert | Justify |
| Giver Not a Taker | 150-1 | Peter Miller | Danzing Candy |
| Judo | 150-1 | Brad Cox | Street Sense |
| Kangaroo Court (g) | 150-1 | Tim Yakteen | Dads Cap |
| Kingdom Heart | 150-1 | Carlos Muñoz | Goldencents |
| Legacy Isle | 150-1 | Rohan Crichton | Shackleford |
| Major Dude | 150-1 | Todd Pletcher | Bolt d’Oro |
| Midnight Trouble | 150-1 | Anthony Pecoraro | Midnight Lute |
| Old Alliance | 150-1 | Michael Stidham | Hard Spun |
| Powerful | 150-1 | Steve Asmussen | Nyquist |
| Quick Hammer | 150-1 | Brad Cox | Mor Spirit |
| Raise Cain | 150-1 | Ben Colebrook | Violence |
| Roman Giant | 150-1 | Steve Asmussen | Carpe Diem |
| Stud Lovin | 150-1 | Mike Maker | Nyquist |
| Traffic Master | 150-1 | Mark Casse | Cross Traffic |
| X Y Point | 150-1 | Saffie Joseph Jr. | Dialed In |
| Arman | 175-1 | Simon Callaghan | Bolt d’Oro |
| Bourbon Bash | 175-1 | D. Wayne Lukas | City of Light |
| Cajun Hope | 175-1 | Michael Yates | Cajun Breeze |
| El de Chimi | 175-1 | Juan Carlos Ávila | Cairo Prince |
| Hard to Handle | 175-1 | David Fawkes | Uncaptured |
| I'm Wide Awake | 175-1 | Ricky Courville | Laoban |
| Jackson Heights | 175-1 | Orlando Noda | Union Jackson |
| Knox | 175-1 | Saffie Joseph Jr. | Brethren |
| Light Man | 175-1 | Bruce Levine | Central Banker |
| Straighten Up | 175-1 | Mike Puype | Straight Fire |
| This Run’s for You | 175-1 | Kathleen O’Connell | Khozan |
| Tigre | 175-1 | Roger Laurin | Awesome Slew |
| Turbo | 175-1 | Juan Alvarado | Brethren |
| Agency | 200-1 | Mark Glatt | Bolt d’Oro |
| Apocalypso | 200-1 | Saffie Joseph Jr. | Girvin |
| Blame It On Daddy | 200-1 | Tom Albertrani | Blame |
| Canarsie | 200-1 | Todd Pletcher | Army Mule |
| Divemaster | 200-1 | Wayne Catalano | Mastery |
| Eyes On the King | 200-1 | Mark Casse | Street Sense |
| Gran Slash | 200-1 | Víctor Barboza Jr. | Uncaptured |
| Roan Burgundy | 200-1 | Brittany Russell | The Factor |
| Rolling On | 200-1 | Rohan Crichton | Uncaptured |
| Tap In Formation | 200-1 | Wayne Catalano | Tapiture |
| (g) gelding | | | |