The 2024 Kentucky Derby will take place on Saturday, May 4 at Churchill Downs, where several horses have emerged as the top choices in the 2024 Kentucky Derby odds. Fierceness, who is coming off a win in the Florida Derby, is the 3-1 favorite among the 2024 Kentucky Derby horses. He is followed by Blue Grass Stakes winner Sierra Leone (7-2) and Louisiana Derby winner Catching Freedom (8-1). Other 2024 Kentucky Derby contenders include Forever Young (10-1), Dornoch (12-1) and Track Phantom (15-1). The Kentucky Derby odds 2024 will continue to shift as the first leg of the Triple Crown approaches. Which Kentucky Derby horses 2024 should you back with 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 the top favorite and just won the Florida Derby. The son of City of Light has flashed championship form, including winning by 13.5 lengths in the Florida Derby. He provided trainer Todd Pletcher with his record-extending eighth Florida Derby victory while notching the largest winning margin in the 73-year history of the race.
However, consistency has been an issue for Fierceness during his young career, which makes him a tricky horse to back as the favorite in the toughest field he has participated in. He finished seventh in the Champagne Stakes last October and was third in the 2024 Holy Bull, which was a Grade 3 race. Demling does not know which version of Fierceness will show up on May 4, so the expert is going in a different direction with his top choice. See which other 2024 Kentucky Derby horses to avoid at SportsLine.
Another stunner: Demling is high on Resilience, even though he's a 35-1 longshot. He's a target for anyone looking for a huge payday. This will be Resilience's third race at Churchill Downs and he's finished in the money in each of his first two showings. Resilience is coming off a victory at the Wood Memorial on April 6 at Aqueduct, being stretched out to 1 1/8 miles in preparation for the 1 1/4-mile Kentucky Derby distance.
Resilience has one of the best pedigrees in the 2024 Kentucky Derby field and his sire is Into Mischief. Resilience is the 22nd Grade 1 stakes winner from Into Mischief, who finished first and second in two career Grade 1 stakes races and won three of six career races overall. Resilience's dam, Meadowstreet, is a two-time winning horse herself. Resilience has the winning history, pedigree and a respected trainer, Bill Mott, to be in the mix to win 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.
2024 Kentucky Derby odds, futures
| Horse | Odds | Projection |
| Fierceness | 3-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Sierra Leone | 7-2 | SEE PICKS |
| Catching Freedom | 8-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Forever Young | 10-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Dornoch | 12-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Track Phantom | 15-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Honor Marie | 16-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Mystik Dan | 16-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Domestic Product | 18-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Endlessly | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Just A Touch | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Deterministic | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Just Steel | 25-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Resilience | 35-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Stronghold | 35-1 | SEE PICKS |
| West Saratoga | 80-1 | SEE PICKS |
| No More Time | 85-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Catalytic | 100-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Hades | 100-1 | SEE PICKS |
| T O Password | 100-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Society Man | 101-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Grand Mo the First | 125-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Encino | 350-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Liberal Arts | 350-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Common Defense | 500-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Epic Ride | 500-1 | SEE PICKS |
| Lucky Jeremy | 500-1 | SEE PICKS |
