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Forte, the morning-line Kentucky Derby favorite who was scratched the morning of the race, had a positive drug test after winning the Sept. 5 Hopeful Stakes last year that has yet to be fully adjudicated, officials confirmed on Wednesday.
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The final hour of the NBC broadcast of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday evening drew a 6.9 rating with a 24 share, according to the network, while drawing the largest audience for a sports broadcast since the Super Bowl.
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Heavy rain, thunder and lightning populated the Churchill Downs backstretch Sunday morning, but it was all sunshine and rainbows at Barn 42, where Kentucky Derby winner Mage was ambivalent to Mother Nature and a small crowd that jammed into the barn to avoid the elements.
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The scratch of Kentucky Derby favorite Forte still weighed on trainer Todd Pletcher's mind some 10 hours after he was scratched by the vet with a foot bruise.
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On Saturday, trainer Gustavo Delgado and jockey Javier Castellano – both natives of Venezuela – combined to feel the delirium of winning the Kentucky Derby as Mage outlasted Two Phil’s to win the 149th Kentucky Derby by one length.
Betting on the Kentucky Derby this year again established a record at $180.16 million, with the total benefiting from an enormous surge in wagering in the straight pools, according to charts.
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Kentucky Derby 2023: Complete order of finish
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Mage, who only made his first start on Jan. 28, won the Kentucky Derby in his fourth. Surging powerfully from behind a strong pace, Mage ran down Two Phil’s, who got a sweet rail run under Jareth Loveberry but could not quite stay. Angel of Empire, the favorite, closed steadily but insufficiently for third. Mage was home by one length, with Two Phils a half-length better than Angel of Empire. Disarm finished fourth, Hit Show fifth.
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Forte, the favorite for Saturday’s 149th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, was scratched out of the race by Kentucky state veterinarians Saturday morning due to a minor bruise in his right front foot.
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Kentucky Derby picks and analysis from Daily Racing Form handicappers across the United States.
