“He’s a Threat to Forte”: Hours After the Announcement of Post Positions, Fans Debate Over 2023 Kentucky Derby Winner

It’s just a matter of a few more days until one of equestrianism’s most elite events, the Kentucky Derby, will commence for its 149th run. The Churchill Downs race track has laden its tarmac for horse riding lovers and bettors from around the country. Now, with everything in check, the post positions of the Kentucky Derby contenders have been announced. However, the gate positions became the subject of perusal among the fans, and netizens started a debate around the winning chances of their favorite thoroughbreds.

The Kentucky Derby post positions can significantly impact a horse’s performance. Horses in the innermost post positions (1-3) have the shortest distance to the first turn, hence they can conserve energy for the remaining distance. However, Horses in the outermost post positions (14-20) have more room to maneuver and may avoid getting squeezed or blocked by other horses. Now, considering the pros and cons of both orientations, equestrian fanatics started mulling over the winning probabilities of the contenders.

Netizens went into a frenzy over Post positions

A few hours ago, Kentucky Derby contenders’ post placements were announced, with Hit Show being at 1st gate (30-1), Superstar racehorse Forte on the 15th (3-1), and Continuar on the 20th (50-1). Now, while Forte rules the leaderboard with 190 points, Hit Show is in 11th place with 60 points. Interestingly, Tapit Trice and Raise Cain currently hold numbers 4th and 9th respectively on the leaderboard. But, now as the post placements just got declared, the social media cult started deliberating over prospect winners.

Taking to its Facebook handle, Kentucky Derby revealed the post placements and captioned, “Post positions are for the 149th Kentucky Derby”. Following this, fans flocked to the comment section and wrote…

“My pick is the Japanese horse at 10-1 he’s a threat to Forte and all the speed horses; he breezed pretty impressively on Friday and the Japanese horses have been doing well on the big stages”

“I’m ready! Tapit Trice for the win!”

Fans even compared the leaderboard and post positions of the thoroughbreds. Mentions like, “I’m going with Confidence Game as I’m thinking that being next to Tappit Trice will be an asset”, “Forte all the way… I like his draw break and come across”, “I’m gonna pick Angel of Empire. #14. Second choice #15, Forte”, “Forte, Angel Of Empire look good to me and drew together in good spots” brimmed the comment sections.

Read More: Kentucky Derby 2023 – Everything You Need to Know

Interestingly, some netizens wished safe ride to the jockeys and thoroughbreds and penned, “Wishing for a safe race for these beautiful horses!”. One added, “Decent spot for Forte, post 15 tends to favor a stalker. I’d love to see him win, but most of all hope everyone has a safe trip”. Another wrote, “Safe travels to all”. Clearly, with Kentucky Derby just around the corner, fans are excited to witness the most anticipated event of the year. What is your perspective on the post positions this year? Give us your thoughts in the comment section below.

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