If you are a fan of horse racing, the Kentucky Derby will always be a highlight of your calendar. Now that all major Derby prep races are over, the field for this year’s race is almost confirmed. So, the top 20 horses in the rankings will compete for ultimate glory at Churchill Downs for the first race of the Triple Crown. The Kentucky Derby will take place on Saturday, May 4 as punters start to gather more info before making their bets.
Winning the Triple Crown is not easy, with the last horse to complete this feat being Justify in 2018. However, one of the contenders in 2024 has a chance to potentially claim the prestigious crown of Triple Crown. Fierceness is currently the 3-1 favorite to win the race with Sierra Leone in second place at 7-2.
Sierra Leone has been talked about for a while as one of the leading horses in the race and cemented the hype with a win at the Blue Grass Stakes. However, as ever, there is surely value to be found in other horses with shorter odds. If you remember back to 2022, Rick Strike claimed victory with odds of 81-1.
2024 Kentucky- My Take
It might be simple to just say go with the clear favorite, Fierceness, having just won the Florida Derby and clearly an excellent horse. In that Florida Derby win, he posted a remarkable 100 Beyer Speed Figure to truly show his class, which was already proven after winning last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
However, Fierceness has never experienced a race at this length before and there are lots of pundits questioning whether he has the stamina to compete with a strong field. Don’t get me wrong, this is a supremely talented horse who is capable of winning on it’s best day, but are those current odds justified?
For me, I like the look of both Catching Freedom and Resilience. Catching Freedom looks made for this race. It won the 1 1/16-mile Smarty Jones S. at Oaktown Park and is proven over a long distance. It has proven it can last the course and has the stamina. At 8-1, I definitely think it is worth a few dollars.
I also like Resilience in this race. This three year old, trained by Bill Mott, didn’t have any victories as a two year old, but is emerging as a superb horse in 2024. He signaled his intent for this year by winning a maiden special weight race on New Year’s Day. He then placed fourth at the Risen Star in February before claiming victory at the Wood Memorial on April 6 ensuring a place in the 2024 Kentucky Derby lineup. I really like this as a sleeper wager at 35-1.
2024 Kentucky Derby Futures Odds
Fierceness 3-1
Sierra Leone 7-2
Catching Freedom 8-1
Forever Young 10-1
Dornoch 12-1
Track Phantom 15-1
Honor Marie 16-1
Mystik Dan 16-1
Domestic Product 18-1
Endlessly 20-1
Just A Touch 20-1
Determinstic 20-1
Just Steel 25-1
Resilience 35-1
Stronghold 35-1
West Saratoga 80-1
No More Time 85-1
Hades 100-1
T O Password 100-1
Society Man 101-1
Grand Mo The First 125-1
Encino 350-1
Liberal Arts 350-1
Common Defense 500-1
Epic Ride 500-1
Lucky Jeremy 500-1
