The Kentucky Derby takes place on Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds, is the first leg of the Triple Crown, followed by the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes.

The field for the 2023 Derby is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in recent memory, with several talented horses vying for the roses. With some rain in the forecast for the week, it is expected to clear up just in time for the best 2 minutes in sports.

For the first time in my lifetime, the camera won’t pan to Bob Baffert every 30 seconds, as he is suspended from the race, and his reign won’t continue this year. The odds on favorite is Forte at 3-1, closely followed by Tapit Trice at 5-1 and Angel of Empire at 8-1. Forte has only been beaten once in his career, however he is leaving much to be desired in terms of betting the favorite. One storyline is the emergence of Japanese horses, who have been dominating the world circuit and poised to prove it on the biggest stage in racing. Derma Sotogake is currently 10-1 and is a trendy pick to finish first. We will see if the horses can handle world travel leading up to the race. Tapit Trice is a wild card, with extraordinary talent who is viable to either win, or refuse to leave the starting gate.

One horse with loads of smart money coming in is Mage. After opening at 60-1, Mage has steamed down all the way to 15-1 and has been racing extremely well. He is certainly a great value horse that some of the sharpest bettors out there are all over. Another horse in that range is Verifying, who presents decent odds at 15-1. Of course, it is always fun to sprinkle on a long short or two, especially after last years Rich Strike winner at 80-1. Hit Show doesn’t have quite as long odds, but he sits at 30-1 and has potential to emerge from the pack late and get the job done. He has one of the best trainers in the business and stars the race on the rail.

Whoever you choose to bet, you can’t argue that the two minutes of race time doesn’t rank up with the best in all of sports. My two picks are Mage at 15-1 and Derma Sotogake at 10-1. These are two of the strongest horses in the field, and present enough value at their respective odds. Throw on those hats, have a mint julip, and enjoy a day at the races!