The 2024 Kentucky Derby is Saturday at Churchill Downs, and post positions have been drawn. The 2024 Kentucky Derby post position draw took place last Saturday for the first time in its history, adding excitement to the festivity around the 150th edition of the Run for the Roses. Last year's winner, Mage, occupied Post No. 8, which is where Just a Touch (10-1) will race from this year. Fierceness is the 5-2 favorite in the 2024 Kentucky Derby odds, while Sierra Leone is next at 3-1. There are 20 horses in the 2024 Kentucky Derby field, setting up a host of longshot opportunities for 2024 Kentucky Derby bets.
Rich Strike won as an 80-1 late entrant two years ago, while Mage was 15-1 last year. 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 will be racing out of stall No. 17, which has not produced a winner in 44 tries. Since the starting gate was introduced in 1930, it is the only post that has not featured a Kentucky Derby winner.
Fierceness has also never won back-to-back races during his young career, and it will not be easy to follow up his dominant showing in the Florida Derby. He finished seventh in the Champagne Stakes last October and finished third in his 3-year-old debut at the Holy Bull. There are multiple other proven 2024 Kentucky Derby horses, so Demling is going in a different direction with his pick to win the race. 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 is trying to become the first sibling or half-sibling of a previous Kentucky Derby winner to win the race. He is a full brother of last year's winner, Mage and has a pair of graded stakes wins on his resume.
Dornoch broke his maiden in a special weight race last October and followed it up with back-to-back wins in the Remsen and Fountain of Youth. He just missed the board in the Blue Grass Stakes at the beginning of April, finishing behind multiple 2024 Kentucky Derby contenders. Demling thinks trainer Danny Gargan will rely on Dornoch's speed from the No. 1 post position this time around, making him a valuable longshot. 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
| Prg # | Horse | Odds | Projection |
| 1 | Dornoch | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 2 | Sierra Leone | 3-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 3 | Mystik Dan | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 4 | Catching Freedom | 8-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 5 | Catalytic | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 6 | Just Steel | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 7 | Honor Marie | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 8 | Just a Touch | 10-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 9 | Encino | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 10 | T O Password (JPN) | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 11 | Forever Young (JPN) | 10-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 12 | Track Phantom | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 13 | West Saratoga | 50-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 14 | Endlessly | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 15 | Domestic Product | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 16 | Grand Mo the First | 50-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 17 | Fierceness | 5-2 | SEE PICKS |
| 18 | Stronghold | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 19 | Resilience | 20-1 | SEE PICKS |
| 20 | Society Man | 50-1 | SEE PICKS |
