Hall of Fame trainers Todd Pletcher and Steve Asmussen can set the career record for wins by a trainer when they send out a combined three horses in the 2023 Louisiana Derby on Saturday at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans. Pletcher and Asmussen share the record for wins in the Louisiana Derby with four. On Saturday, Pletcher will saddle Kingsbarns, who is 6-1 in the 2023 Louisiana Derby odds, while Asmussen enters two longshots: Disarm (10-1) and Shopper's Revenge (12-1). The Brad Cox-trained Instant Coffee is the 2-1 favorite among the 2023 Louisiana Derby contenders and Sun Thunder is the 5-1 second choice in the 12-horse 2023 Louisiana Derby field.
The 2023 Louisiana Derby post time is 6:42 p.m. ET. With several lightly raced three-year-olds set to enter the starting gate on Saturday, you'll want to see what racing insider and Beyer Speed Figure maker Bob Weir has to say before making any 2023 Louisiana Derby picks.
A member of the Beyer Speed Figure-making team who is based in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Weir is a two-time qualifier for the prestigious National Horseplayers Championship in Las Vegas. He has produced multiple five-figure days at the track over the years, including a $60,000 Pick 6 at Del Mar in 2014.
Last year he was red-hot in the Triple Crown prep races, hitting the superfecta in the Blue Grass Stakes and exactas in the Fountain of Youth Stakes and Tampa Bay Derby. He also hit the 19-1 winner of the Man o' War Stakes, the trifecta in the Pegasus World Cup, the superfecta in the Met Mile and multiple Pick 4s, including May 14's at Belmont for $1,851. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, he has handicapped the 2023 Louisiana Derby lineup, made his picks and constructed his bets. Go to SportsLine to see them.
Top 2023 Louisiana Derby predictions
One surprise: Weir's top pick is not Instant Coffee, even though he is the 2-1 favorite. A son of Bolt d'Oro, Instant Coffee has won his last two starts: the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club and Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes. He enters the Louisiana Derby 2023 off a two-month layoff.
But Weir believes there are others in the 2023 Louisiana Derby lineup who have run just as fast as Instant Coffee. "He earned a 92 Beyer Speed Figure [in the Lecomte], which is good but not great and doesn't give him a strong edge on this field," Weir told SportsLine. See Weir's 2023 Louisiana Derby picks at SportsLine.
How to make 2023 Louisiana Derby picks
Instead, Weir's top pick is a double-digit longshot who is highly underrated coming into the Louisiana Derby 2023. He's sharing which horses to back only at SportsLine.
So what double-digit longshot wins the Louisiana Derby? And how has Weir constructed his wagers? Check out the latest Louisiana Derby odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Weir's picks for the Louisiana Derby, and find out.
2023 Lousiana Derby odds
| Prg # | Horse | Odds | Projection |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shopper's Revenge | 12-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 2 | Instant Coffee | 2-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 3 | Curly Jack | 12-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 4 | Sun Thunder | 5-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 5 | Disarm | 10-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 6 | Kingsbarns | 6-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 7 | Cagliostro | 12-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 8 | Single Ruler | 15-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 9 | Tapit's Conquest | 10-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 10 | Denington | 12-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 11 | Jace's Road | 12-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 12 | Baseline Beater | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
