2024 Kentucky Derby horses, futures, odds, date: Expert who nailed 10 Derby-Oaks Doubles lists picks
The Road to the 2024 Kentucky Derby is underway, as the 150th edition of America's biggest horse race is just two months away. The winners of the Kentucky Derby prep races will earn enough points to qualify for the 20-horse 2024 Kentucky Derby field. Last year's final entrant in the Kentucky Derby qualified with 45 points. Sierra Leone is the 6-1 favorite in the 2024 Kentucky Derby odds, sitting ahead of Dornoch (9-1) and Timberlake (15-1).
Dornoch has not finished worse than second in his four career races, picking up a win at the 2023 Remsen in his most recent outing. Should you include him in your 2024 Kentucky Derby bets? 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 one of the favorites at 16-1. Fierceness is the reigning 2-year-old male champion, winning the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) in November to wrap up the year. However, he was unable to build on that momentum to open his 3-year-old season, finishing third in the 2024 Holy Bull (G3) in February, despite entering the race as a heavy favorite.
His speed numbers were significantly lower than what he posted in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile, as he finished behind Hades and Domestic Product in the Holy Bull. Fierceness also had a rough showing in the Champagne Stakes last October, coming in seventh place in a race that Timberlake won. Demling has not seen enough consistency from Fierceness to justify wagering on him to win the biggest race of the year. See which other 2024 Kentucky Derby horses to avoid at SportsLine.
Another stunner: Demling is high on Honor Marie, even though he's a 36-1 longshot. He's a target for anyone looking for a huge payday. Honor Marie's career began when he went last-to-first in a six-furlong maiden special weight run last September before finishing second at Keeneland in an allowance in his second career race. He burst onto the scene as one of the legitimate 2024 Kentucky Derby contenders when he won the 2023 Kentucky Jockey Club last November.
Honor Marie earned 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with his two-length victory in that race. He posted ascending Brisnet Speed figures in his first three races before taking a slight step back with his fifth-place finish in the 2024 Risen Star. Demling says Honor Marie is flying under the radar following that race, suggesting him as an early longshot option for the Kentucky Derby. See which other horses to back at SportsLine.
How to make 2024 Kentucky Derby picks, bets
Demling is especially high on another massive longshot who has the pedigree to win the Run for the Roses and turn heads on Derby Day. Demling is sharing which horse it is, along with his entire projected 2024 Kentucky Derby leaderboard, over at SportsLine.
