Can the Top Horses to Win the Kentucky Derby be the Next Triple Crown Winner

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In thoroughbred racing, all 2-year-olds turn 3 years old on January 1. It doesn’t matter if the horse was born in December a year ago. The equine becomes a year older as soon as January 1 happens, which is why all 2 year olds from 2023 are now 3 year olds.

Will there be a Triple Crown in 2023?

We answer that question as well as profile Triple Crown contenders, plus MyBookie offers the online racebook lines for the races this year.

Will 2024 Have a Triple Crown Winner? | MyBookie Horse Racing Preview

2024 Kentucky Derby | 150th edition of the Kentucky Derby – May 4
2024 Preakness Stakes | 150th edition of the Preakness Stakes – May 18
2024 Belmont Stakes | 156th edition of the Preakness Stakes – June 8

What to know about the 2024 Triple Crown

Belmont to be run at Saratoga and at 1 ¼ miles

Before answering if there will be a Triple Crown winner in 2023, it’s important to note that renovations at Belmont Park will push the Test of Champions, the 1 ½ mile Belmont Stakes, to Saratoga this season.

It’s tough, impossible really, to run a 1 ½ mile dirt race at Saratoga. So this year’s Belmont will run at 1 ¼ miles.

There won’t be a Triple Crown winner because a Bob Baffert runner will win the Preakness

Churchill Downs has decided to extend Bob Baffert’s ban for another year. Baffert, the winningest trainer in Kentucky Derby history, will ready his horses for the second jewel, the Preakness.

Baffert won the 2023 Preakness with a fresh horse, National Treasure. We should expect the same. By the time the Belmont happens, and because it happens at Saratoga where Baffert can run horses, Bob may also win the third jewel. So there won’t be any Triple Crown winner this year because Baffert will beat the Derby winner in both the Preakness and the Belmont.

If there is a Triple Crown winner, one of the following equines will be the TC winner

Fierceness

If a Triple Crown does happen, it won’t but if you want to take a chance on it happening, Fierceness is the runner that could get it done. Todd Pletcher trained Fierceness to a daylight score in the 2023 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Sired by City of Light and from Nonna Belle, Fierceness should have the perfect blend of speed and stamina. Nonna Belle called Empire Maker and Bernardini her grandsires. City of Light easily won the 1 1/8 miles Pegasus World Cup.

Locked

Another Todd Pletcher trained runner, Locked has the breeding to win the Triple Crown. Locked finished third behind Bob Baffert trained Muth and Fierceness in the BC Juvenile.

The Gun Runner sired 3-year-old won the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland. The class is there. So if Pletcher can get this one ready for the Derby and the Baffert runners don’t show up in the Preakness or Belmont, Locked can get it done.

Nash

Of Brad Cox’s two Kentucky Derby contenders, Nash is the slight choice over Timberlake. Things can change big time. But for now, Nash has the edge.

Nash finished third behind Track Phantom and Snead in the Gun Runners stakes on December 23. Cox will have Nash ready to fire his best shot on Derby Day.

Medaglia d’Oro sired and Malibu Moon is Nash’s grandsire. So the horse has the breeding.

Timberlake

The Into Mischief sired runner finished fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Timberlake finished second in the Grade 1 Hopeful and won the Champagne, which tells us he’s talented and is a winner.

But Timberlake must improve if Cox hopes to win the Kentucky Derby with the hard trying colt. Again, Cox is one of the best trainers on the planet. So getting Timberlake to run his best on the First Saturday in May should happen.

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Horse Racing: Will 2023 Have a Triple Crown? | Horse Racing Lines

The Kentucky Derby field is all but set. On the first Saturday in May twenty three-year-olds will step into the starting gate at Churchill Downs to run for the title Derby Champion. Updated odds peg Todd Pletcher trained Forte the chalk. Is Forte good enough to not only win the Derby but also the Triple Crown? How about the chances of Forte’s competitors like Tapit Trice or Derma Sotogake? See below for a Triple Crown betting analysis.

2023 Kentucky Derby Info

• When: Saturday, May 6
• Where: Churchill Downs, Louisville, KY
• Distance & Surface: 1 ¼ miles on dirt

Four Kentucky Derby Entrants That Can Win the Triple Crown

Forte

With Todd Pletcher in his corner, the chalk for sure can win the Crown. The key is whether Forte has peaked or will peak before the Belmont Stakes.

If he has yet to tap into his best race, Forte could get it done on the first Saturday in May and then roll in the Preakness before blowing out his competition in the Belmont. Breeding suggests Forte will have no issue getting 1 ½ miles in the Belmont.

So the Derby favorite has a good chance of winning the Triple Crown.

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Tapit Trice

Like Forte, Tapit Trice is bred to handle distances from a mile to 1 ½ miles and beyond. Sire Tapit has already produced three Belmont Stakes winners. Not only that, but Tapit Trice is proven. He won the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby and the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes. The horse also won an allowance in February.

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Angel of Empire

Sired by Classic Empire and a To Honor and Serve broodmare, Armony’s Angel, Angel of Empire has all the tools to win the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont.

The Brad Cox trained and Flavien Prat ridden sophomore has run faster with each race. He blew away the field in the Arkansas Derby. The thing is, he could have won that race by about ten lengths if Flavien had given him the whip throughout the stretch.

Getting the 1 ½ Belmont distance is no issue. Cox is one of the top trainers in the world and Prat is riding lights out. This +1400 choice to win the Derby can take the crown.

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Derma Sotogake

The front runner blew away the competition in the Grade 2 UAE Derby. The word is out that unlike past UAE Derby winners, Derma Sotogake has a legit chance of wearing the roses.

If Derma also takes the Preakness, it could be tough for him to win the Belmont. He’s not exactly bred to run 1 ½ miles. However, the way he strode out after dominating his UAE Derby competitors suggests he’s good enough to win the Crown.

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Updated Kentucky Derby Odds Top 20

Bottom Line: Will there be a Triple Crown winner in 2023?

The Derby separates the contenders from pretenders, which is why if Angel of Empire wins the Kentucky Derby, the Cox trained runner can win the Triple Crown.

Speed rating horseplayers will scoff at the notion. But Angel of Empire closed into an over 47 seconds half mile in the Arkansas Derby and maintained his closing kick for more than a half a mile. He might have been able to maintain his kick for a full mile.

What does it mean? By the half-mile pole in the Derby, Angel of Empire could be well on his way to the finish line, rolling past his opponents.

The Preakness won’t be an issue because Flavien will keep him closer to the pace. Then in the Belmont, Angel of Empire will run past his opponents in the stretch. You heard it hear first. Angel of Empire will win the Triple Crown.

Triple Crown Winner in 2023: Yes

Justify was the last to Win the Triple Crown – 2018 Belmont Stakes

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After studying Kentucky Derby past performances, three horses stand out as possible Triple Crown winners. To be clear, a different horse in the race, like favorite Forte, could end up winning the crown but we feel confident that the three here have the best shot of taking the Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes.

Keep reading to find out why Derma Sotogake, Tapit Trice, and Angel of Empire have the best horse racing betting lines to win the Triple Crown in 2023.

Top Three Horses That Will Give Us the Next Triple Crown

Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing | Triple Crown
Kentucky Derby: Saturday, May 6, 2023
Preakness Stakes: Saturday, May 20, 2023
Belmont Stakes: Saturday, Jun 10, 2023

Derma Sotogake

149th Kentucky Derby | The Run for the Roses
Trainer: Hidetaka Otanashi
Owner: Hiroyuki Asanuma
Jockey: Christophe Lemaire

Mind Your Biscuits was a sprinter-miler. Biscuits was as tough as it got going a mile or less. It turns out, his progeny Derma Sotogake prefers longer.

The Japanese horse won the 1 3/16 miles Grade 2 UAE Derby in his last. Derma Sotogake didn’t just win the UAE Derby, he dominated his foes. For sure, winning the Kentucky Derby won’t be as easy, but Derma has a high cruising speed that will allow him to lie right off Kingsbarns and Verifying and then go past the front runners around the final turn.

Don’t be surprised if Derma wins the Derby by holding off fast closing horses like Tapit Trice, Forte, and Angel of Empire. Winning the Preakness won’t be an issue because the second jewel is at the same distance as the UAE Derby.

Taking the Belmont will be difficult. Although Mind Your Biscuits was more of a sprinter, broodmare Amour Poesie calls Sunday Silence her grandsire and Neo Universe her sire. Neo Universe finished fourth in the 2003 1 ½ mile Grade 1 Japan Cup on the grass.

Tapit Trice

149th Kentucky Derby | The Run for the Roses
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Owner: Whisper Hill Farm, LLC and Gainesway Stable (Antony Beck)
Jockey: Luis Saez

Since a third place finish in his first lifetime start, Tapit Trice has been unbeatable. Todd Pletcher’s second Derby contender, Forte is his first, also won two Kentucky Derby prep races: the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby and the Grade 1 Bluegrass Stakes.

No doubt, Tapit Trice is the best bred horse in the race. Because Tapit is Trice’s sire, he’s a half-brother to 2022 Horse of the Year Flightline.

Tapit is also the only horse to sire four Belmont Stakes winners: Tonalist, Creator, Tapwrit, and Essential Quality. So if Tapit Trice wins the Derby and the Preakness, a victory in the Belmont should be all but assured.

Angel of Empire

149th Kentucky Derby | The Run for the Roses
Trainer: Brad Cox
Owner: Albaugh Family Stables LLC
Jockey: Flavien Prat

Like Tapit Trice, Angel of Empire won two Kentucky Derby prep races, the Grade 2 Risen Star and the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby. Angel of Empire’s breeding, sired by Classic Empire and from a To Honor And Serve broodmare, suggests he won’t struggle with any of the Triple Crown race distances.

What gives Angel of Empire an edge over his competition, and the reason he might be the horse among the three to back to win the Triple Crown, is his amazing turn of foot.

Angel can cruise as close to the pace as required before unleashing a devastating turn of foot that leaves his competition in his wake. By devastating, we mean once Angel of Empire gets going he can keep going for up to a mile.

An elongated turn of foot make Angel of Empire a legit Crown contender.

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After Rich Strike Won at the KY Derby Will 2022 have a Triple Crown? | Horse Racing Odds and Picks

On Saturday, May 7, one of the biggest upsets in Kentucky Derby history happened when Rich Strike, who drew into the race off the also-eligible list on Friday, ran up the rail to upset two of the favorites, Epicenter and Zandon and win the roses. Rich Strike heads to Pimlico the only horse in the field with a shot to win the Kentucky Derby. Will the former claimer win the most coveted prize in American thoroughbred racing? Check out reasons why Rich Strike takes the TC, why he won’t and whether we will have a Triple Crown in 2022 so you can make your bets against the Triple Crown lines.

Triple Crown of Horse Racing

When: May 7 – June 11

Reasons Rich Strike will win the Triple Crown

Don’t let the $30,000 maiden claiming victory fool you. Rich Strike is bred to be a champion. Keen Ice upset American Pharoah to win the Travers Stakes in 2015.

Rich Strike’s mom was Canada’s three-year-old filly champ. Not only that, but Calumet Farm, Rich Strike’s original owners, ran the horse in a $51,000 maiden special weight on the turf before giving up on him and running him in the $30k claimer.

So the horse has the goods to win the Triple Crown.

Reasons Rich Strike won’t win the Triple Crown

The first quarter-mile was under 22 seconds. The half-mile went in a shade over 45 seconds. Under 22 seconds in a 6 furlong race is quick.

Under 22 seconds and under 45 seconds in a 1 mile and a quarter horse race is blazing. So the pace set up Rich Strike’s deep closing run.

The Derby won’t get the same pace set up. We must also question the horse’s breeding. Yes, Keen Ice upset American Pharoah to win the Travers, but Keen Ice bills $7,500 to cover a mare.

That doesn’t scream Triple Crown breeding.

Bottom Line: Will we have a Triple Crown in 2022?

Anybody questioning Rich Strike’s pedigree doesn’t know horse racing. The runner has the ability to sprint if required.

Rich Strike’s mother, Gold Strike, is out of Smart Strike. Smart Strike is one of the most important producers of sprinters and route horses the U.S. has seen this century.

Gold Strike won the Selene Stakes and Woodbine Oaks. She’s as quality of broodmare as you’re going to find.

Almost as important? Rich Strike broke his maiden at a one-turn mile at Churchill Downs by 17 lengths, and Rich broke the maiden by taking the lead at the second-call.

So there’s a reason to believe the horse has the ability to not only close from the clouds, but to also run much closer to the pace than anyone believes. Also, and we mustn’t look past this fact for sure, Rich Strike’s breeding suggests he’ll have no problem running 1 ½ miles.

The Kentucky Derby winner may be getting good at the right time. Don’t think for a moment Rich Strike can’t put together a couple of more excellent performances. The Run for the Roses winner is legit and has a real shot of winning the Triple Crown.

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Will there be a Triple Crown This Year? | Horse Racing Betting

Every year, horse racing fans sit down to discuss the prospect of a Triple Crown. In history, just 13 thoroughbred 3-year-old equines have won the Triple Crown, arguably the most difficult feat in all of sports. The last horse to win the TC was Justify in 2018. Will 2022 produce a Triple Crown winner? Let’s try to find that out so you can plan your bets against the Triple Crown odds.

Triple Crown of Horse Racing

When: May 7 – June 11

How will the lack of Bob Baffert runners affect the Kentucky Derby?

The last 2 horses to win the Crown were both trained by Bob Baffert. Bob put the saddle on American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018.

This year, Baffert may not run a 3-year-old. It’s not that Baffert doesn’t want to run any of his monster sophomores. It’s because Churchill Downs believes Baffert juiced Medina Spirit to win the 2021 Kentucky Derby.

The fact Medina died due to a heart attack after training about a month ago doesn’t help Bob’s cause. If Churchill decides the 2-year ban on Baffert runners stands, Bob may not saddle a pony in the Run for the Roses, which means none of his 3-year-olds can win the Crown.

Will owners pull Corniche from Baffert?

Corniche is the most talented 3-year-old on the planet. Churchill Downs is so intent on shutting out Baffert that the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner doesn’t even show up on their Top 10 in points.

Winning the Kentucky Derby is a big deal. So if Baffert can’t run horses at Churchill, Speedway Stable, Corniche’s owners, could turn to a familiar face, Michael Stidham.

But because of Corniche’s ability, we should assume any trainer in the U.S. would be delighted to have the horse in their barn. Todd Pletcher would jump at the chance. So would Steve Asmussen, Doug O’Neil, who trains at Santa Anita like Baffert and has won a couple of Kentucky Derbies, or even Chad Brown.

Which among the current Top Ten has the best chance of winning the Triple Crown?

Mark Casse trained Pappacap is a good racehorse. The Gun Runner sired colt comes from a Scat Daddy mare, which means he should have no trouble running 1 ½ miles, the Belmont distance.

Pletcher’s top runner is Mo Donegal. The Grade 2 Remsen winner is sired by Uncle Mo and is from a Pulpit broodmare.

Jack Cristopher deserves a look. Chad Brown would have saddled the first or second choice in the BC Juvenile, but decided to scratch Cristopher. If Brown can get the Champagne winner back on track, Brown could be looking at his first legit Derby contender.

Bottom Line: Will there be a Triple Crown winner in 2022?

The easy answer is no because a Triple Crown winner has happened just 13 times in thoroughbred racing history.

But, then again, nobody really thought Secretariat would win the crown because Sham looked just as good on paper. Nobody believed Affirmed would win the TC because Alydar appeared to be the better horse.

Justify broke his maiden in the same year he won the Triple Crown. Nobody ever believed that would happen.

That doesn’t mean a horse will win the Crown in 2022. It does mean we should handicap some of the other contenders outside of Corniche, especially Mo Donegal, Pappacap, and Jack Cristopher, before deciding no horse will take the TC.

After all, if Corniche doesn’t run, or doesn’t perform as well with a different trainer, who knows? Maybe, the door opens for a runner like Pappacap, who finished second to Corniche twice in his last two races to end 2021, to win the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont.