Road to the Kentucky Derby will determine eligibility for the 2024 Kentucky Derby. But you can never predict who will win at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 4th. In the last seven years, he is the only horse to win the Kentucky Derby that finished in the top seven of the standings. It was 2020, but the pandemic disrupted the preparation schedule. Last year, eventual winner Mage finished just 15th behind him, so horses at the bottom of the standings should not be ignored when betting on the 2024 Kentucky Derby.
Trainer Brad Cox, who won in 2021, has three horses outside the top 10 in Catching Freedom, Just Touch and Encino. No horse has shorter 2024 Kentucky Derby odds than his 26-1, and all are low-cost, high-reward options. Timberlake is the favorite to win the Kentucky Derby at 12-1 and Sierra Leone is 7-1. Before you pick the 2024 Kentucky Derby, be sure to check out SportsLine's elite horse racing expert Jody Demling's horse racing predictions and bets on the future.
Demling, a horse racing veteran who has written, talked about and bet on racing for years, has won the Belmont Stakes in four of the past six years, including the 2022 Ecsta with Moe, and the 2024 Kentucky Derby. I am going to Donegal and the Nest. He also praised Flightline for winning the Breeders' Cup Classic in November of the same year.
Demling will be at his best in the world's biggest horse races like the 2024 Kentucky Derby. In fact, he's hit 10 of his 15 Derby-Oaks doubles at Churchill Downs. That means he has had a ticket to the winner of both races all but five times in the past 15 years. He has also been named 10 of the past 19 Preakness winners, including a surefire pick for the 2023 Preakness winners Ecta and Superfecta, and he has been named 10 of the past 19 Preakness winners. He has a keen understanding of when he is ready for a victory or a big upset. Anyone who follows him will grow a lot.
Now, the 2024 Kentucky Derby odds are already on the board and Demling shares his predictions and 2024 Kentucky Derby predictions on SportsLine. Visit here to take a look.
Top Predictions for the 2024 Kentucky Derby
One surprising thing about Demling's 2024 Kentucky Derby pick: Despite being one of the favorites at 9-1, Fierceness is fading. Trained by Todd Pletcher and owned by Lepore Stables, Fierceness was sired by City of Light out of Stay Thirsty's Nonna Bella. However, while City of Light has never finished lower than third in his career and has won five graded races, his Fierceness has not been as consistent.
Fiershanes, who broke his first win at Saratoga in August, finished a disappointing seventh in the Champagne Stakes. He won the Breeders' Cup Juvenile less than a month later and continued to embarrass. He was the favorite in the Holy Bull Stakes during his 3-year-old season, but finished third. Check out other 2024 Kentucky Derby horses to avoid on SportsLine.
Another shocking player is that Demling, despite being a 35-1 big winner, rates Honor Mary highly. He is a target for those looking for a big salary. The horse is being trained by Louisville local Whit Beckman, who just received his trainer's license three years ago. But he previously worked for Todd Pletcher and Chad Brown, who combined for 12 Trainer of the Year awards and eight Triple Crown race wins. Jockey Beckman started Honor Mary in his first three races at Churchill Downs, where the horse posted two wins and one second place.
After a three-month break, Honor Marie raced at the New Orleans Fair Grounds and finished fifth. His long rest and going to a new course greatly affected his finish, but he showed his comfort at Churchill Downs. Honor Marie has a pedigree in his favor as his sire Honor Cord and his grandson Smart Strike were G1 stakes winners. “I love the potential and versatility this player has,” Demling told SportsLine. Check out his SportsLine to see which other horses he supports.
2024 Kentucky Derby predictions and how to bet
Demling has a particular eye on another longshot horse who won the Run for the Roses and whose pedigree will attract attention on Derby day. Demling shares with SportsLine which horse it is, as well as the entire predicted 2024 Kentucky Derby leaderboard.
Which horse will win the Kentucky Derby in 2024? And which horse is the biggest loser you should absolutely back? Check out the latest odds for the 2024 Kentucky Derby below, then visit SportsLine to learn more about the experts who have won back-to-back Derby-Oaks 10 times Check out Demling's nomination for the Kentucky Derby by.
