The Brad Cox-trained Instant Coffee can establish himself as one of the leading contenders for the Kentucky Derby when he leaves the starting gate in the 2023 Louisiana Derby on Saturday at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans. He is the 2-1 favorite in the 2023 Louisiana Derby odds. Sun Thunder is the 5-1 second choice in the 12-horse 2023 Louisiana Derby field, while Kingsbarns (6-1), Disarm (10-1) and Tapit's Conquest (10-1) round out the top five in the odds. Post time for the $1 million race 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 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.

For Saturday, Weir has handicapped the 2023 Louisiana Derby field, made his picks and constructed his bets.

One surprise: Weir's top pick is not Instant Coffee, even though he is a formidable 2-1 favorite. "He earned a 92 Beyer Speed Figure [in the Grade 3 Lecomte], which is good but not great and doesn't give him a strong edge on this field," Weir told SportsLine.

Instead, Weir's top pick is a double-digit longshot who is highly underrated coming into the Louisiana Derby 2023! Weir is including this horse prominently in his 2023 Louisiana Derby bets, and so should you. You ABSOLUTELY need to see his picks before locking in any of your own!

What double-digit longshot will win the Louisiana Derby 2023? And how has Weir constructed his wagers? ... Join SportsLine right now to get the top 2023 Louisiana Derby picks, all from the racing insider who was red-hot in Kentucky Derby prep races like this!