The 2024 Kentucky Derby wil run on Saturday, May 4 at Churchill Downs. The 2024 Kentucky Derby field features 20 horses, with Fierceness entering as the 5-2 favorite in the latest 2024 Kentucky Derby odds. Fierceness is trained by Todd Pletcher, who has two Kentucky Derby wins on his resume, and is coming off a win in the Florida Derby in late March. Pletcher’s last Kentucky Derby win came in 2017 when Always Dreaming prevailed. History may be on the side of Fierceness at the Kentucky Derby 2024. Four of the last 11 Kentucky Derby winners have also won the Florida Derby, and his speed figures are elite.
That said, the Kentucky Derby betting favorite has come up short five straight times. Should you back Fierceness this year at Churchill Downs? The 2024 Kentucky Derby post time is 6:57 p.m. ET. With so much to consider while making your 2024 Kentucky Derby picks, a little expert help can go a long way.
The Kentucky Derby 2024 will mark the 150th Run for the Roses. The first race was held in 1875 on a 1.5-mile track in front of an estimated 10,000 fans. Churchill Downs is now a 1.25-mile track with annual attendance figures now topping 150,000. The Kentucky Derby is now the longest continuously held sporting event in the United States. Renowned horse trainer Todd Pletcher has the chance to become just the third trainer to win the Kentucky Derby three times. His lone horse in the 2024 Kentucky Derby is Fierceness, the betting favorite. Ben “Plain Ben” Jones and Bob Baffert are tied for the most wins by a trainer with six.
Given all the history, there’s a method to picking which horses to focus on for exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets in a Kentucky Derby like this, and SportsLine expert Jody Demling knows what it is. He can help you make the best 2024 Kentucky Derby picks possible.
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, he’s sharing all of his 2024 Kentucky Derby bets here.
Top 2024 Kentucky Derby expert picks
Here’s a refresher on these types of bets from SportsLine’s Jody Demling:
Kentucky Derby Exacta: Pick the first- and second-place finishers in the correct order. A $2 exacta returned $330.44 at the 2023 Kentucky Derby with Mage and Two Phil’s.
Kentucky Derby Trifecta: Pick the first-, second- and third-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 trifecta returned $982.36 at the 2023 Kentucky Derby with Mage, Two Phil’s and Angel of Empire.
Kentucky Derby Superfecta: Pick the first-, second-, third- and fourth-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 superfecta returned a colossal $15,643.65 at the 2023 Kentucky Derby with Mage, Two Phil’s, Angel of Empire and Disarm.
Demling is not taking Fierceness (5-2) to win this year, even though he’s the favorite. Instead, he is building his tickets around Sierra Leone and a massive double-digit longshot who “keeps getting better and better.” You can see his picks here.
How to make 2024 Kentucky Derby bets
Demling has specific recommendations for exacta, trifecta and superfecta wagers so you can cover all your bases at the Kentucky Derby 2024. He’s sharing them over at SportsLine.
So which horses do you take? And in what combinations? Visit SportsLine to get Demling’s picks for exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets for the 2024 Kentucky Derby.