Kentucky Derby 2024 predictions, odds: Win, place, show, trifecta, superfecta expert picks

The 2024 Kentucky Derby will mark the 10th straight edition in which multiple horses will go to post with over $1 million in career earnings. Japanese import Forever Young has the highest earnings at over $1.7 million, while Fierceness has accumulated over $1.6 million. However, being a millionaire hasn’t equated to success at Churchill Downs, as only four millionaire horses have won the Run for the Roses across 64 prior starts. Fierceness will enter the 2024 Kentucky Derby as the 5-2 favorite. The second-favorite, Sierra Leone (3-1), has roughly half of Fierceness’ earnings at just over $870,000. Forever Young (10-1) is one of five 2024 Kentucky Derby horses listed at 10-1 or shorter as he attempts to become the first horse born outside of North America or England to win the Kentucky Derby.

What can fans expect from the 2024 Kentucky Derby horses at Churchill Downs on Saturday? 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.

For a race dubbed the Fastest Two Minutes in Sports, getting out to a fast start at the Kentucky Derby isn’t all that important. Of the 10 fastest times over the first quarter-mile of the race, none came close to winning. Eight of the 10 finished in 13th place or worse, while the best finish among those 10 horses was fifth place. Summer is Tomorrow (2022) had the fastest-ever first quarter-mile in Kentucky Derby history at 21.78 seconds. He was still in first place after a half-mile, but faded just as quickly as he shot up to the front of the pack. The horse who led after the first half-mile ended up finishing in dead-last and 64 1/2 lengths behind winner Rich Strike.

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.

2024 Kentucky Derby odds, futures