Kentucky Derby 2023: Exit of Litigate, Hejazi thins futures pool
Two of the 25 shortest-priced horses in the futures market were confirmed by Churchill Downs to be off the Kentucky Derby 2023 trail, leaving 34 choices in Nevada that are shorter than 100-1.
Litigate had been priced in Las Vegas this week at 60-1 at Circa Sports and 35-1 at Caesars Sportsbook. Trainer Todd Pletcher confirmed to Horse Racing Nation that the colt suffered a setback in training since he won the Sam F. Davis (G3) on Feb. 11 at Tampa Bay Downs. The story first was reported by Daily Racing Form. The Blame colt owned by Don Little’s Centennial Farms has not had a timed workout since Feb. 24, when he was clocked at 50.52 seconds for a half-mile breeze at Palm Beach Downs.
Hejazi, who had been 85-1 at Circa and 70-1 at Caesars, was returned to his original trainer Bob Baffert. In a text message to HRN, interim trainer Tim Yakteen confirmed DRF’s report of the move to Baffert, who is ineligible for this year’s Derby. The $3.55 million Bernardini colt owned by Amr Zedan has had a mostly disappointing first five races. It took him four tries to break his maiden, and then he was fourth nearly two weeks ago in the San Felipe (G3), his first finish off the board.
Both Litigate and Hejazi were shown as scratched from the Kentucky Derby leaderboard posted this week by Churchill Downs. Hejazi closed Sunday at 53-1 and Litigate 66-1 in pool 5 of Churchill’s pari-mutuel Kentucky Derby Future Wager.
Fountain of Youth (G2) winner Forte held firm Friday as the consensus 3-1 Nevada favorite for the Derby, which will be run in 50 days on May 6 at Churchill Downs. Las Vegas futures from Friday morning are shown here in order of their best prices in bold type:
| Kentucky Derby 2023 | Caesars | Circa | Trainer | Last race |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forte | 3-1 | 3-1 | Todd Pletcher | 1st Fountain of Youth (G2) |
| Tapit Trice | 8-1 | 6-1 | Todd Pletcher | 1st Tampa Bay Derby (G3) |
| Practical Move | 12-1 | 14-1 | Tim Yakteen | 1st San Felipe (G2) |
| Instant Coffee | 14-1 | 16-1 | Brad Cox | 1st Lecomte (G3) |
| Reincarnate | 18-1 | 25-1 | Tim Yakteen | 3rd Rebel (G2) |
| Confidence Game | 24-1 | 30-1 | Keith Desormeaux | 1st Rebel (G2) |
| Geaux Rocket Ride | 25-1 | 30-1 | Richard Mandella | 2nd San Felipe (G2) |
| National Treasure | 15-1 | 30-1 | Tim Yakteen | 3rd Sham (G3) |
| Red Route One | 20-1 | 30-1 | Steve Asmussen | 2nd Rebel (G2) |
| Verifying | 22-1 | 30-1 | Brad Cox | 4th Rebel (G2) |
| Hit Show | 40-1 | 30-1 | Brad Cox | 1st Withers (G3) |
| Awesome Strong | 40-1 | Jorge Delgado | 1st Florida Sire In Reality | |
| Cairo | 45-1 | Aidan O'Brien | 1st Patton (AW) | |
| Henry Q | 40-1 | 45-1 | Todd Fincher | 1st Mine That Bird Derby |
| Rocket Can | 40-1 | 45-1 | Bill Mott | 2nd Fountain of Youth (G2) |
| Kingsbarns | 50-1 | 40-1 | Todd Pletcher | 1st alw OC at TAM |
| Tapit's Conquest | 50-1 | 45-1 | Brad Cox | 4th Risen Star (G2) |
| Two Phil's | 50-1 | 50-1 | Larry Rivelli | 3rd Risen Star (G2) |
| Blazing Sevens | 45-1 | 55-1 | Chad Brown | 8th Fountain of Youth (G2) |
| Angel of Empire | 45-1 | 60-1 | Brad Cox | 1st Risen Star (G2) |
| Disarm | 50-1 | 60-1 | Steve Asmussen | 2nd alw OC at OP |
| Skinner | 45-1 | 60-1 | John Shirreffs | 3rd San Felipe (G2) |
| Worcester | 65-1 | Bob Baffert | 3rd Robert B. Lewis (G3) | |
| Classic Legacy | 60-1 | 75-1 | Bill Mott | 3rd Tampa Bay Derby (G3) |
| Raise Cain | 45-1 | 75-1 | Ben Colebrook | 1st Gotham (G3) |
| Sun Thunder | 65-1 | 75-1 | Kenny McPeek | 2nd Risen Star (G2) |
| Echo Again | 75-1 | Steve Asmussen | DNF Lecomte (G3) | |
| Slip Mahoney | 60-1 | 80-1 | Brad Cox | 2nd Gotham (G3) |
| Victory Formation | 60-1 | 80-1 | Brad Cox | 9th Risen Star (G2) |
| Classic Car Wash | 85-1 | 75-1 | Mark Casse | 2nd Tampa Bay Derby (G3) |
| Curly Jack | 60-1 | 85-1 | Tom Amoss | 8th Risen Star (G2) |
| Cyclone Mischief | 60-1 | 85-1 | Dale Romans | 3rd Fountain of Youth (G2) |
| Dreamlike | 85-1 | Todd Pletcher | 2nd MSW at GP | |
| Congruent | 60-1 | 95-1 | Antonio Sano | 1st Battaglia Mem. (AW) |
| Bishops Bay | 100-1 | 75-1 | Brad Cox | 1st MSW at FG |
| Perrière | 100-1 | Yoichi Kuroiwa | 1st Hyacinth | |
| Scoobie Quando | 100-1 | Ben Colebrook | 2nd Battaglia Mem. (AW) | |
| Mage | 100-1 | 85-1 | Gustavo Delgado | 4th Fountain of Youth (G2) |
| Corona Bolt | 100-1 | Brad Cox | 1st alw at OP | |
| Gulfport | 100-1 | Steve Asmussen | 3rd Champagne (G1) | |
| Mo Strike | 100-1 | Brad Cox | 4th Hopeful (G1) | |
| Cagliostro | 110-1 | Cherie DeVaux | 2nd alw OC at FG | |
| Jace's Road | 70-1 | 110-1 | Brad Cox | 5th Southwest (G3) |
| Shopper's Revenge | 125-1 | 110-1 | Steve Asmussen | 2nd alw OC at OP |
| Dubyuhnell | 100-1 | 125-1 | Danny Gargan | 8th Sam F. Davis (G3) |
| Arthur's Ride | 125-1 | 150-1 | Bill Mott | 1st MSW at GP |
| Banishing | 50-1 | 150-1 | Brendan Walsh | 5th alw OC at FG |
| Crupi | 100-1 | 150-1 | Todd Pletcher | 7th Risen Star (G2) |
| Giant Mischief | 60-1 | 150-1 | Brad Cox | 6th Rebel (G2) |
| Kangaroo Court (g) | 125-1 | 150-1 | Tim Yakteen | 1st alw OC at SA |
| Lugan Knight | 150-1 | Michael McCarthy | 7th Gotham (G3) | |
| Point Proven | 100-1 | 150-1 | Todd Pletcher | 3rd alw OC at GP |
| Gold Magic | 150-1 | Kevin Attard | 4th alw OC at GP | |
| Super Chow | 150-1 | Jorge Delgado | 2nd Swale (G3) | |
| Wildatlanticstorm | 150-1 | Ray Ashford | 1st Springboard Mile | |
| Airtime | 175-1 | Robertino Diodoro | 1st alw OC at OP | |
| Classic Catch | 125-1 | 175-1 | Todd Pletcher | 1st alw OC at GP |
| Fort Bragg | 125-1 | 175-1 | Tim Yakteen | 5th San Felipe (G2) |
| General Jim | 135-1 | 175-1 | Shug McGaughey | 1st Swale (G3) |
| Major Dude | 150-1 | 175-1 | Todd Pletcher | 1st Kitten's Joy (G3, turf) |
| Two Eagles River | 150-1 | 175-1 | Chris Hartman | 1st alw OC at OP |
| Bourbon Bash | 175-1 | D. Wayne Lukas | 5th Rebel (G2) | |
| Demolition Duke | 175-1 | Brad Cox | 1st MSW at FG | |
| Powerful | 175-1 | Steve Asmussen | 9th Rebel (G2) | |
| Protégé | 175-1 | Ron Moquett | 3rd alw OC at OP | |
| Arabian Lion | 125-1 | 200-1 | Tim Yakteen | 4th Robert B. Lewis (G3) |
| Arctic Arrogance | 150-1 | 200-1 | Linda Rice | 2nd Withers (G3) |
| Bo Cruz | 200-1 | Al Stall Jr. | 1st MSW at FG | |
| Continuar | 200-1 | Yoshito Yahagi | 5th Saudi Derby (G3) | |
| Derma Sotogake | 200-1 | Hidetaka Otonashi | 3rd Saudi Derby (G3) | |
| Gun Pilot | 125-1 | 200-1 | Steve Asmussen | 7th Rebel (G2) |
| Mandarin Hero | 200-1 | Terunobu Fujita | 2nd Kumotori | |
| Mendelssohns March | 200-1 | Kenny McPeek | 1st alw OC at OP | |
| Tapit Shoes | 125-1 | 200-1 | Brad Cox | 3rd alw OC at FG |
| Denington | 225-1 | Kenny McPeek | 1st alw OC at FG | |
| Eyeing Clover | 225-1 | Brad Cox | 4th Gotham (G3) | |
| First Defender | 175-1 | 225-1 | Steve Asmussen | 4th alw OC at FG |
| Fort Warren | 125-1 | 225-1 | Brittany Russell | 3rd San Vicente (G2) |
| General Banker | 150-1 | 225-1 | Jimmy Ferraro | 3rd Gotham (G3) |
| Mr. Ripple | 75-1 | 225-1 | Saffie Joseph Jr. | 2nd alw OC at GP |
| Shadow Dragon | 225-1 | Bill Mott | 5th Fountain of Youth (G2) | |
| Uncle Jake | 225-1 | Brittany Russell | 1st MSW at LRL | |
| Bromley | 150-1 | 250-1 | Paulo Lobo | 3rd Battaglia Mem. (AW) |
| Carmel Road | 250-1 | Tim Yakteen | 8th Gotham (G3) | |
| Funtastic Again | 250-1 | Wesley Ward | 1st Leonatus (AW) at TP | |
| Giroovin | 250-1 | Genaro García | 5th Riley Allison Derby | |
| Harlocap | 125-1 | 250-1 | Steve Asmussen | 6th Risen Star (G2) |
| Invulnerable | 250-1 | Joe Sharp | 1st alw at FG | |
| Jungfrau | 150-1 | 250-1 | Bill Mott | 6th Withers (G3) |
| Neural Network | 250-1 | Chad Brown | 1st Gander | |
| Prairie Hawk | 250-1 | Saffie Joseph Jr. | 4th Tampa Bay Derby (G3) | |
| Recruiter | 250-1 | Cathal Lynch | 11th Gotham (G3) | |
| Event Detail | 300-1 | Paulo Lobo | 10th Rebel (G2) | |
| Genius Jimmy | 300-1 | Michael McCarthy | 8th San Felipe (G2) | |
| Howgreatisnate | 300-1 | Andy Simoff | 14th Gotham (G3) | |
| Lord Miles | 150-1 | 300-1 | Saffie Joseph Jr. | 5th Tampa Bay Derby (G3) |
| Single Ruler | 300-1 | Keith Desormeaux | 5th Risen Star (G2) | |
| Uncorrelated | 300-1 | Chad Brown | 12th Gotham (G3) | |
| Wadsworth (g) | 300-1 | Brad Cox | 1st alw OC (AW) at TP | |
| (g) gelding |