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HALLANDALE, FLORIDA- JANUARY 25: Mucho Gusto with Irad Ortiz up wins the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on January 25, 2020 in Hallandale, Florida© Provided by CBS Sports
The 2024 Kentucky Derby will take place at Churchill Downs on Saturday, and this year's race will mark the 150th Run for the Roses. The 2024 Kentucky Derby post positions were determined last weekend, with Catalytic drawing the coveted No. 5 spot. Catalytic comes in as a 30-1 longshot in the latest 2024 Kentucky Derby odds. The three-year-old colt, trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., is coming off a second place finish at the Florida Derby in his most recent race, but finished 13½ lengths behind the winner, Fierceness, the betting favorite among the 2024 Kentucky Derby horses. The 2024 Kentucky Derby field also includes Fierceness (5-2), Sierra Leone (3-1), Catching Freedom (8-1), Forever Young (10-1) and Just a Touch (10-1). With his favorable draw, is it worth taking a chance on Catalytic when placing your 2024 Kentucky Derby bets?
Post time for the first leg of the Triple Crown is set for 6:57 p.m. ET. With the Kentucky Derby offering arguably the best betting opportunity of any single sporting event of the year, you'll want to see what Saratoga Springs-based racing insider and Beyer Speed Figure maker Bob Weir has to say before making any 2024 Kentucky Derby picks.
A member of the Beyer Speed Figure-making team since 2017, Weir is a two-time qualifier for the prestigious National Horseplayers Championship in Las Vegas. He has produced multiple five-figure days at the track over the years, including a $60,000 Pick 6 at Del Mar in 2014 and an $18,000 Pick 5 at Tampa Bay Downs in early April.
In April of last year, he hit a Pick 4 at Gulfstream Park for $641, the exacta in the Florida Derby, a Pick 5 at Keeneland and the exacta in the Lexington Stakes. He smashed the trifecta in the Belmont Stakes for $532.96, and later in June he crushed a Pick 4 at Belmont for $555. Those were just some of his scores from 2023.
For Saturday, he has handicapped the 2024 Kentucky Derby lineup, made his picks and constructed his bets. You can head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2024 Kentucky Derby predictions
One surprise: Weir is fading Fierceness, even though he is the top favorite. Fierceness is trained by the legendary Todd Pletcher, who can become only the third trainer ever to win the Kentucky Derby three times with a victory on Saturday. The three-year-old colt is coming off a first place finish at the Florida Derby in late March, and despite his impressive speed figures, Weir is avoiding the favorite at the Kentucky Derby 2024."Fierceness has run the fastest races in this field, has early pace and gets a good post to establish his position early. However, I can't get past the fact that he hasn't put together two good races in a row in his short career. Excuses can be made for those off performances, but how a horse this talented has those off races is still hard to understand," Weir told SportsLine.
Another curveball: Weir is high on the chances of Japanese invader Forever Young, even though he's a 10-1 longshot. The Japanese-bred horse enters the Kentucky Derby 2024 on a five race winning streak, and is one of two horses to enter with a perfect record. Forever Young is trained by Yoshito Yahagi, a legend on the Japanese horse racing scene. He's trained some of Japan's best horses, including 2020 Japanese Triple Crown winner Contrail.
"Forever Young is versatile and might be able to lay closer than some expect in this spot. The estimated figures for his 3-year-old races are right in line with the top 3-year-old figures among the American horses, except for Fierceness. There is no reason to believe a horse coming from Dubai can't win this race, and he may be the best UAE Derby shipper to attempt this. He looks live and will be interesting at double-digit odds," Weir told SportsLine. You can see all of Weir's 2024 Kentucky Derby bets here.
How to make 2024 Kentucky Derby picks
Moreover, Weir is high on a big double-digit longshot who "could be ready for his best." Weir is including this surprising horse in his 2024 Kentucky Derby bets, and so should you. He's sharing which horses to back only at SportsLine.So who wins the Kentucky Derby 2024, and what double-digit longshot is a must-back? Check out the latest 2024 KentuckyDerby odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Weir's picks for the Kentucky Derby, all from the horse racing insider who has had multiple five-figure days at the track and just hit an $18,000 payday, and find out.
2024 Kentucky Derby odds, post positions
| 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 | SCR |
| 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 |
| 21 | Epic Ride | 30-1 | SEE PICKS |
