The sixth and final pool in the 2023 Kentucky Derby Future Wager closed Saturday evening with Forte as a 5-2 favorite – and that was before the champion colt closed with a flourish to win the Florida Derby. In a twist on the usual format used by Churchill Downs wherein all or most Derby preps are run before a futures pool closes, wagering into Pool 6 was cut off at 6 p.m. Eastern Saturday – or about 45 minutes before the Florida Derby was run at Gulfstream Park. The Arkansas Derby also was run Saturday after Pool 6 was closed. Forte, trained by Todd Pletcher, was the only horse among 40 wagering options to close at single-digit odds. Two other Pletcher trainees, Louisiana Derby winner Kingsbarns and Tampa Bay Derby winner Tapit Trice, were the respective second and third choices, both at 11-1. They were followed by Derma Sotogake (13-1), Practical Move (14-1), and the mutuel field, the 40th or “all others” option, at 17-1. :: KENTUCKY DERBY 2023: Derby Watch, point standings, prep schedule, news, and more Angel of Empire, the Arkansas Derby winner, closed at 27-1 in Pool 6 prior to his dominant score at Oaklawn Park. Combined handle (win and exacta) in Pool 5 was $369,442. The lowest $2 exacta combination was Forte over Tapit Trice (14-21), worth $64.72. Forte was the 3-1 favorite in Pool 5, held March 10-12. The mutuel field, the 40th or “all others” option, was the favorite in the first four pools. The 149th Derby is set for May 6. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.