Award-winning trainer Todd Pletcher will try for another win at Churchill Downs when the 2024 Kentucky Derby gets underway on Saturday, May 4. Pletcher is a two-time Kentucky Derby winner, having horses win the Run of the Roses in 2010 and 2016. He appeared close to capturing his third Kentucky Derby victory last year with his horse Forte being the heavy favorite, but Forte was scratched from the field just hours before the big race. Only two other trainers in history have won the Kentucky Derby three times, and Pletcher will get another shot at joining that club with one horse in the 2024 Kentucky Derby field.
Fierceness, a Pletcher-trained horse and winner of the Florida Derby, is the 5-2 favorite in the 2024 Kentucky Derby odds. Other favorites among the 2024 Kentucky Derby horses include Sierra Leone (3-1), Catching Freedom (8-1) and Forever Young (10-1). The 2024 Kentucky Derby post time is 6:57 p.m. ET. Before making any 2024 Kentucky Derby picks, be sure to see the horse racing predictions and futures bets from SportsLine’s elite horse racing expert Jody Demling.
A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling enters the 2024 Kentucky Derby having nailed the winner of the Belmont Stakes four of the last six years, including an exacta in 2022 with Mo Donegal and Nest. He also called Flightline’s win at the Breeders’ Cup Classic in November of that year.
Demling is at his best in the biggest horse races in the world like the Kentucky Derby 2024. In fact, he has hit 10 of the last 15 Derby-Oaks doubles at Churchill Downs. That means he held a ticket with the winners of both races all but five times in the last 15 years. He’s also called 10 of the last 19 Preakness winners, including nailing his Preakness winner, exacta and superfecta picks in 2023, keenly understanding when the Kentucky Derby winner was poised for victory or a massive upset. Anyone who has followed him is up huge.
Now, with the 2024 Kentucky Derby odds already on the board, Demling is sharing his picks and 2024 Kentucky Derby predictions over at SportsLine. Go here to see them.
Top 2024 Kentucky Derby predictions
One of Demling’s surprising 2024 Kentucky Derby picks: He is fading Fierceness, even though he’s the top favorite and just won the Florida Derby. Fierceness posted a 110 Beyer Speed Figure at Gulfstream Park during his Florida Derby victory, the fastest of any three-year-old in 2024. That speed is fueling heavy action on Fierceness ahead of the Kentucky Derby 2024.
However, Fierceness has struggled with showcasing his speed on a consistent basis. After claiming victory at Saratoga in his first start, Fierceness struggled mightily in his next race and finished seventh in the Champagne Stakes at Aqueduct. He has yet to win back-to-back races, which doesn’t bode well for the favorite after crossing the finish line first at the Florida Derby at the end of March. See which other 2024 Kentucky Derby horses to avoid at SportsLine.
Another stunner: Demling is high on Resilience, even though he’s a 20-1 longshot. He’s a target for anyone looking for a huge payday. The three-year-old colt is familiar with Churchill Downs after racing there twice in 2023. He more recently won at Gulfstream Park in January and the Aqueduct in March, so he is bringing plenty of momentum into the Kentucky Derby 2024.
Resilience is trained by William Mott, who brings his own experience at Churchill Downs to the table. The four-time Eclipse Award winner is the winningest trainer at the historic track, including a 2019 Kentucky Derby win with Country House. Add in that jockey John R. Velazquez has won multiple Kentucky Derby’s of his own and it’s easy to see why Demling likes Resilience to have a strong showing at the 2024 Kentucky Derby. See which other horses to back at SportsLine.
How to make 2024 Kentucky Derby picks, bets
Demling is especially high on an epic double-digit longshot who “keeps getting better and better.” Demling is sharing which horse it is, along with his entire projected 2024 Kentucky Derby leaderboard, over at SportsLine.
Which horse wins the Kentucky Derby 2024, and which double-digit longshot is a must-back? Check out the latest 2024 Kentucky Derby odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Demling’s picks for the Kentucky Derby, all from the expert who nailed 10 Derby-Oaks doubles.
