Minty Bets is joined by “VSiN Primetime” host Shaun King to handicap the 2023 Kentucky Derby taking place this Saturday from Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

Video Transcript

MINTY BETS: The Kentucky Derby is this Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. I'm Minty Bets, and here to give us his favorite picks for the race is former NFL quarterback and Super Bowl winner, host of "VSiN PrimeTime" weeknights on VSiN, Shaun King.

Shaun, the top four favorites to win the Derby are Forte, Tapit Trice, Practical Move, and Angel of Empire. What are a couple of bets you'll be making this Saturday?

SHAUN KING: Well, here's what's interesting. I think this is a magnificent running of the Kentucky Derby. Sometimes you come in, and there's an odds-on favorite. And you're scratching and clawing, trying to find how to beat the favorite because that's the way the payout is going to be tremendous.

I'll say this. With Forte being 3-1 on the opening line, I think Practical Move will take more money. Tapit Trice is coming in. I know Tapit, his dad has never sired a Derby winner, even though he's a magnificent stallion.

I think this is one of those Derbys, Minty, if you can just figure out how it's going to run, it's going to pay big, regardless. Like, even if it runs Forte to one of the three second, third, or fourth choices, the exacta still is probably going to pay 40 bucks, you know. So then it's just about hammering.

I'm going to say this. I'm going to try and beat the favorite, Forte. I do think he's a really good horse. It's interesting. In my history, as it pertains to Todd Pletcher, his trainer, who has three horses in the way. Also King's Barn and Tapit Trice.

If Todd is winning races early on the card, then throw out everything I'm saying and just win bet all three of Todd's horses because he's going to win the race. Like, he's one of those trainers, if he's winning races early, he's going to win the races late.

If he's struggling to win races early, it's not like there's generally a turnaround. But going into this, I'm going to try and beat it. And I'm going to go with a Brad Cox runner, Angel of Empire, coming off of winning the Arkansas Derby. I like the post position.

He's a horse that can kind of sit just off the leaders, kind of sit in that groove, groovy spot, which generally is where the Derby winner comes from, maybe four or five lengths off the leader, getting first run on that horse turning for home. So I'm going to start the majority of my bets with Angel Empire on top, and Angel Empire on second, and try and sprinkle in some different horses to hopefully get a big payday come Saturday.

MINTY BETS: All right, Shaun, I got to ask. What's a nice long shot pick that you realistically like to win the race?

SHAUN KING: Well, look at it like this. I like to get colorful on Derby Day. One of the most beautiful places I've ever been in another country in a magnificent city, Tokyo, Japan. Guess what has never happened in the Kentucky Derby? Well, two things.

No horse that's won the UAE Derby has ever won the Derby. More importantly, no horse based out of Japan. No Japanese runner has ever won the Derby. So that's why I'm considering Derma Sotogake-- hopefully I'm saying his name right-- as my long shot pick, a horse that has gone to the lead before. It doesn't necessarily have to have the lead.

He has a good spot where if he breaks clean, he'll be in that first herd of horses going into the first turn. Japanese horses kind of dictated Rich Strike's win last year by getting in a seven furlong speed roll up front, which set it up for a closer. I think they learned a lot. So my long shot play is going to be Derma Sotogake.

MINTY BETS: I absolutely love it. You guys can follow Shaun King on Twitter @realshaunking. Thank you for your time, Shaun.

SHAUN KING: Thank you.

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