2024 Kentucky Derby horses, futures, odds, date: Expert who hit 10 Derby-Oaks Doubles releases picks (2024)

The Triple Crown series is nearing its annual return, with the 2024 Kentucky Derby taking place on Saturday, May 4 at Churchill Downs. Several horses clinched their spot in the 2024 Kentucky Derby field in qualifying races, including Sierra Leone, who won the Blue Grass Stakes. He became the fourth horse since 1937 to win the race from the No. 10 gate after he delayed his entry into the starting gate for nearly three minutes. Sierra Leone is near the top of the 2024 Kentucky Derby odds for the biggest race of the year at 7-2. Fierceness is the 3-1 Kentucky Derby favorite, while Catching Freedom (8-1) and Forever Young (10-1) are both top 2024 Kentucky Derby contenders as well according to oddsmakers.

Which horses 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. Fierceness won the third race of his career at the end of March, cruising to a dominant win in the Florida Derby. It was the second Grade 1 victory for him, as he also won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile last November.

However, consistency has been an issue for the Todd Pletcher-trained horse, as he finished seventh in the Champagne Stakes last October and third in the Holy Bull in February. Pletcher has struggled in recent years at Churchill Downs, with 15 of his last 16 Derby starters failing to hit the board. Demling likes the potential that Fierceness has shown, but he is ultimately going in a different direction with his top 2024 Kentucky Derby prediction.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. Resilience is coming off a victory in the Wood Memorial, which jumped him to fifth in the Road to the Kentucky Derby standings to earn enough points to qualify for the 2024 Kentucky Derby. Before then, he finished fourth at the Risen Star, which was won by Sierra Leone, who has the second-lowest 2024 Kentucky Derby odds to win.

Resilience has won two of his last three races, also winning at Gulfstream Park on Jan 1. Resilience is trained by Bill Mott, who trained Country House to win the 2019 Kentucky Derby. That 2019 victory came with controversy, with Maximum Security crossing the finish line first before being disqualified, but that doesn't change that Mott is a Kentucky Derby-winning trainer. Demling expects Mott to have Resilience ready for a strong run at the 2024 Kentucky Derby and feels he's worth using as a longshot play in your 2024 Kentucky Derby picks.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