Will magic strike again in the 2023 Kentucky Derby?
Though Rich Strike won’t be competing after becoming one of the best stories in sports in 2022, 20 horses are in pole position to win the event in 2023, which will kick start the Triple Crown.
Tapit Trice and Angel of Empire are among the top names to keep an eye on when the race gets underway in Louisville this Saturday, but they’ll certainly face competition to make history.
Here are the 18 horses competing in the 2023 Kentucky Derby along with their post positions and jockeys:
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
What horses are competing in the 2023 Kentucky Derby?
Here is the list of the 18 horses set to run on Saturday:
- Hit Show
- Verifying
- Two Phil’s
- Confidence Game
- Tapit Trice
- Kingsbarns
- Reincarnate
- Mage
- Cyclone Mischief
- Disarm
- Jace’s Road
- Sun Thunder
- Angel of Empire
- Raise Cain
- Rocket Can
- Mandarin Hero
- King Russell
More Kentucky Derby coverage
The Triple Crown kicks off at Saturday's "Run for the Roses" in Louisville. Here's everything you need to know.
What are the post positions for the horses in the 2023 Kentucky Derby?
Here are the post positions for each horse on Saturday:
1. Hit Show
2. Verifying
3. Two Phil's
4. Confidence Game
5. Tapit Trice
6. Kingsbarns
7. Reincarnate
8. Mage
9. Disarm
10. Jace's Road
11. Sun Thunder
12. Angel of Empire
13. Raise Cain
14. Derma Sotogake
15. Rocket Can
16. Cyclone Mischief
17. Mandarin Hero
18. King Russell
Practical Move, Lord Miles, Continuar, Forte and Skinner were scratched.
Who are the jockeys for the horses in the 2023 Kentucky Derby?
Here are the jockeys for the horses running on Saturday, per the Kentucky Derby's website:
- Hit Show: Manny Franco
- Verifying: Tyler Gaffalione
- Two Phil’s: Jareth Loveberry
- Confidence Game: James Graham
- Tapit Trice: Luis Saez
- Kingsbarns: Jose L. Ortiz
- Reincarnate: John R. Velazquez
- Mage: Javier Castellano
- Cyclone Mischief: Joel Rosario
- Disarm: Joel Rosario
- Jace’s Road: Florent Geroux
- Sun Thunder: Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.
- Angel of Empire: Flavien Prat
- Raise Cain: Gerardo Corrales
- Derma Sotogake (Japan): Christophe Lemaire
- Rocket Can: Junior Alvarado
- Mandarin Hero: Kazushi Kimura
- King Russell: Rafael Bejarano
When is the 2023 Kentucky Derby?
The main event on Saturday, May 6 is slated for 6:57 p.m. ET. It is the most exciting two minutes in sports.
NBC will begin its Derby Day broadcast at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday with coverage of the early races leading up to the Triple Crown race. Derby Day coverage can also be viewed on Peacock, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.
The full Derby Day schedule is available here.
