2023 Louisiana Derby Runners, Riders & Picks: Will Instant Coffee Be Too Hot?

The 2023 Louisiana Derby runners see 12 entries heading to post for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby Trail. It’s the Brad H Cox-trained Instant Coffee that tops the betting – will he be too hot for his rival?

We’ve got all the entries and big race prediction for the Fair Grounds showpiece.

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2023 Louisiana Derby Runners: Instant Coffee Heads 12 Fair Grounds Entries

Saturday’s 110th Louisiana Derby will see 12 horses battling it out for the $1m purse and also hoping to book their place in the Kentucky Derby on May 6. Saturday’s Fair Grounds race will offer top-tier qualifying points of 100-40-30-20-10 to the first five finishers.

Over the years we’ve seen two horses – Black Gold (1924) and Grindstone (1996) – win the Louisiana Derby and go onto land the Kentucky Derby that season.

Instant Coffee will be one of the 12 Louisiana Derby runners trying to add to that record by winning the Fair Grounds race on Saturday. He was last seen winning the Lecomte Stakes at the end of January – a race that also had Kentucky Derby qualifying points attached to it.

Prior to Saturday’s race, Instant Coffee sits 9th on the ‘Road to the Kentucky Derby’ leaderboard and is around 16/1 for the Churchill Downs race later this season.

Louisiana Derby Runners, Riders and Betting

• Instant Coffee 2/1
  Trainer: Brad Cox
  Jockey: Luis Saez
• Sun Thunder 5/1
  Trainer: Ken McPeek
  Jockey: Brian Hernandez Jr.
• Kingsbarns 6/1
  Trainer: Todd Pletcher
  Jockey: Flavien Pratt
• Disarm 10/1
  Trainer: Steve Asmussen
  Jockey: Joel Rosario
• Tapit’s Conquest 10/1
  Trainer: Brad Cox
  Jockey: Manny Franco
• Cagliostro 12/1
  Trainer: Cherie DeVaux
  Jockey: Cristian Torres
• Dennington 12/1
  Trainer: Ken McPeek
  Jockey: Junior Alvarado
• Jace’s Road 12/1
  Trainer: Brad Cox
  Jockey: Florent Geroux
• Shopper’s Revenge 12/1
  Trainer: Steve Asmussen
  Jockey: Ricardo Santana Jr
• Curly Jack 12/1
  Trainer: Tom Amoss
  Jockey: Edgar Morales
• Single Ruler 15/1
  Trainer: Keith Desormeaux
  Jockey: David Cohen
• Baseline Beater 20/1
  Trainer: Neil Pessin
  Jockey: Corey Lanerie

Note: Odds are subject to change

2023 Louisiana Derby Pick and Trifecta Prediction

It’s hard to ignore the good record in the race from the Todd Pletcher and Steve Asmussen yards (see below), so their runners are respected – Disarm, Kingsbarns and Shopper’s Revenge.

Of that trio, the Joel Rosario-ridden Disarm is certainly one for the shortlist as Asmussen the Rosario look to back up last year’s win in the race with Epicenter.

This 3 year-old colt is also by Asmussen’s 2016 Louisiana Derby winner Gun Runner and should strip a lot fitter for a recent 2nd at Oaklawn Park last month.

However, the main Louisiana Derby pick is the likely favourite INSTANT COFFEE. This Brad H Cox runner has gone into many a notebook having won 3 of his 4 career starts, with the last of those an impressive win at Fair Grounds in the Lecomte Stakes in on January 21.

Therefore, we know the track suits and with just four runs there should be a lot more improvement still in the locker. He got the job done the last day by an easy 2 1/2 lengths in that G3 contest and Cox knows what’s needed to win this race, having landed the pot in 2020 with Wells Bayou.

Louisiana Derby Trifecta Pick

• 1st: Instant Coffee
• 2nd: Disarm
• 3rd: Kingsbarns

Todd Pletcher and Steve Asmussen Have Won The Louisiana Derby Four Times Each

The stables with the best recent records in the Louisiana Derby are Todd Pletcher and Steve Asmussen – the pair both have four previous successes under their belts.

Asmussen saddled last year’s winner – Epicenter – while Pletcher’s last victory in the race came in 2018 with Noble Indy.

This year the duo have more Louisiana Derby runners, with Pletcher sending Kingsbarns to post and Asmussen having two – Shopper’s Revenger and Disarm.

Jockey Joel Rosario Going for a Famous Louisiana Derby Treble

Top US-based jockey Joel Rosario has ridden the last two winners of the Louisiana Derby, so will be going for a famous three-timer at Fair Grounds this Saturday.

The Dominican Republic rider is expected to get the leg-up on the Steve Asmussen-trained Disarm. This Gun Runner colt has a live chance and also hails from last year’s winning barn.

Over the years, jockey Pat Day won the Louisiana Derby five times, but no jockey has won the race three times on the spin – can Joel Rosario become the first?

The Brad H Cox Barn Have Three Of The 12 Louisiana Derby Runners

Trainer Brad H Cox is responsible for 25% of the 2023 Louisiana Derby field with three runners. His Instant Coffeee is expected to be the shorted-priced of his trio and the likely Louisiana Derby favorite, but he’s also got two other runners. Jace’s Road, who has won 2 of his 5 career starts, and Tapit’s Conquest will also be flying the flag for Cox, whose sole win in the race to date came in 2020 with Wells Bayou.

Recent Louisiana Derby Winners

• 2022 – Epicenter
• 2021 – Hot Rod Charlie
• 2020 – Wells Bayou
• 2019 – Be My Standards
• 2018 – Noble Indy

WATCH: Epicenter winning the 2022 Louisiana Derby

Louisiana Derby Outright Odds

The Brad Cox-trained Instant Coffee heads the beating for Saturday’s Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds. The improving 3 year-old has won 3 of his last 4 races and is already figuring well in the Kentucky Derby betting. You can find the best odds at BetOnline and also claim up to $1,000 in free horse racing bets.

• Instant Coffee 2/1
• Sun Thunder 5/1
• Kingsbarns 6/1
• Disarm 10/1
• Tapit’s Conquest 10/1
• Cagliostro 12/1
• Dennington 12/1
• Jace’s Road 12/1
• Shopper’s Revenge 12/1
• Curly Jack 12/1
• Single Ruler 15/1
• Baseline Beater 20/1

Note: Odds are subject to change.

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