The favorite for the Kentucky Derby on Saturday night, Forte, has been scratched for the race, ACC Network's Jody Demling reported.
Forte had been the odds-on favorite to win the race at roughly +300 before rumors swirled about his condition. A source indicated to the Action Network that the horse had an issue as early as Thursday.
The last minute scratch launches Tapit Trice and Angel of Empire into the top of the leaderboard. Tapit Trice is the new favorite across the marketplace, while Angel of Empire sits second.
The mixup is dicey for sportsbooks. While horse racing venues offer fluid odds markets, sportsbooks offer fixed odds. Meaning, what you pay is what you get. So, those that heard rumors early were able to capitalize on an overinflated market that included Forte, when in reality those prices should have been lower.
For instance, Derma Sotogake, a dark horse contender for the Run for the Roses, was priced as high as +1200 on Friday. With Forte out, he's roughly +500.
Likewise for contenders Tapit Trice and Angel of Empire. While the two horses hovered around +800 earlier in the week, +500 is the best price you'll get them for in the leadup to the race.
Meanwhile, horse betting venues provide odds via how each horse closes. So, even an astute bet on Derma Sotogake at 12-1 would be fruitless under this medium.
