2024 Kentucky Derby horses, futures, odds, date: Expert who hit 10 Derby-Oaks Doubles enters top picks

The 2024 Kentucky Derby gets underway on Saturday, when the world’s fastest horses will descend upon Churchill Downs. It’s the first Triple Crown race of the year and there are plenty of 2024 Kentucky Derby storylines unfolding as we inch closer to the 150th Run for the Roses. With a victory at the Kentucky Derby 2024, Fierceness will become the seventh favorite to win in the last 12 tries. Fierceness is the 5-2 favorite in the 2024 Kentucky Derby odds, and the three-year-old Colt enters Churchill Downs having won two of his last three starts. Should you back Fierceness to defeat the other 2024 Kentucky Derby horses or roll the dice on one of the many 2024 Kentucky Derby longshots like Mystik Dan (20-1) or Just Steel (20-1)?

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 enters the 2024 Kentucky Derby as the favorite thanks to his blistering speed.

Fierceness earned the highest speed figure (107) of any horse in the 2024 Kentucky Derby field in his victory in the Florida Derby in March. He also posted a speed figure of 106 when he won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile last November. However, consistency has been a major issue for the Todd Pletcher-trained horse, as he finished a distant seventh in the Champagne Stakes last October and was third in the Holy Bull in February. See which other 2024 Kentucky Derby horses to avoid at SportsLine.

Another stunner: Demling is high on Dornoch, even though he’s a 20-1 longshot. He’s a target for anyone looking for a huge payday. Dornoch will try to become the first horse since Ferdinand (1986) to win from post No. 1. However, Dornoch possesses the speed to set the pace and hold off the rest of the 2024 Kentucky Derby field.

Dornoch won the Fountain of Youth Stakes and Remsen Stakes with pacesetting tactics. Demling believes that jockey Luis Saez will send Dornoch from the second the gate opens at the Kentucky Derby. He should be among the frontrunners around the first turn and if he can settle and save energy, he might be a factor down the stretch. 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.

2024 Kentucky Derby odds, futures