He was purchased for $775,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, with expectations remaining high for him since then. Verifying is the son of Justify, who won the Triple Crown in 2018, so pedigree is not an issue heading into Saturday's showdown. He jumped to the graded stakes when he finished second in the Champagne S. Verifying made his debut last August at Saratoga, leading at every call in a six-furlong maiden special weight. See which other horses to avoid here.Īnother curveball: Weir is high on Verifying, even though he is a 16-1 longshot. However, he still looks like a grind-it-down horse who may prove to be better suited for the Belmont than the Derby," Weir told SportsLine. "This long-striding gray colt made a step forward in the Blue Grass Stakes both on the speed figure scale and his ability to get into the race earlier than he did in the Tampa Bay Derby. He also hit the 19-1 winner of the Man o' War Stakes, the trifecta in the Pegasus World Cup, the superfecta in the Met Mile and multiple Pick 4s, including May 14's at Belmont for $1,851. Last year, he was red-hot in the Triple Crown prep races, hitting the superfecta in the Blue Grass Stakes for $1,678 and exactas in the Fountain of Youth Stakes and Tampa Bay Derby. He has produced multiple five-figure days at the track over the years, including a $60,000 Pick 6 at Del Mar in 2014. Rich Strike took advantage of his opportunity as an 80-1 longshot last year, so should you be targeting any of this year's longshots with your 2023 Kentucky Derby bets? With a wide-open 18-horse field set to enter the starting gate on Saturday, you'll want to see what racing insider and Beyer Speed Figure maker Bob Weir has to say before making any 2023 Kentucky Derby picks.Ī member of the Beyer Speed Figure-making team who is based in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Weir is a two-time qualifier for the prestigious National Horseplayers Championship in Las Vegas. In addition to Forte, four other horses scratched from the 2023 Kentucky Derby field throughout the course of the week, leaving room for some alternates to make noise. The other 2023 Kentucky Derby contenders getting single-digit odds leading up to post time include Derma Sotogake (7-1), Two Phil's (7-1) and Kingsbarns (9-1). Morning-line favorite Forte scratched Saturday morning due to injury concerns. Tapit Trice has rattled off four straight victories and is one of the co-favorites at 9-2 on the 2023 Kentucky odds board, joining Angel of Empire. The first leg of the Triple Crown is here, with the 2023 Kentucky Derby set for 6:57 p.m.
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