Kentucky Derby Morning Line Odds & Post Positions


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Kentucky Derby Morning Line Odds & Post Positions

Kentucky Derby 2024 post positions and morning line odds are set. It is, as expected, a full field of 20 horses with two also-eligibles.

Post time is 6:57 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 4. The race will be broadcast on NBC. Television coverage will begin at 10:30 a.m. ET on FanDuel TV. Below, we cover all the Kentucky Derby odds.

PositionHorseJockeyTrainerMorning line odds
1DornochLuis SaezDanny Gargan30-1
2Sierra LeoneTyler GaffalioneChad Brown3-1
3Mystik DanBrian HernandezKen McPeek20-1
4Catching FreedomFlavien PratBrad Cox8-1
5CatalyticJose OrtizSaffie Joseph, Jr.30-1
6Just SteelKeith AsmussenD. Wayne Lukas20-1
7Honor MarieBen CurtisWhit Beckman20-1
8Just a TouchFlorent Geroux Brad Cox10-1
9EncinoAxel ConcepcionBrad Cox20-1
10T O Password (JPN)Kazushi KimuraDaisuke Takayanagi30-1
11Forever Young (JPN)Ryusei SakaiYoshito Yahagi10-1
12Track PhantomJoel RosarioSteve Asmussen20-1
13West SaratogaJesus CastanonLarry Demeritte50-1
14EndlesslyUmberto RispoliMichael McCarthy30-1
15Domestic ProductIrad Ortiz, Jr.Chad Brown30-1
16Grand Mo The FirstEmisael JaramilloVictor Barboza50-1
17FiercenessJohn VelazquezTodd Pletcher5-2
18StrongholdAntonio FresuPhil D’Amato20-1
19ResilienceJunior AlvaradoBill Mott20-1
20Society ManFrankie DettoriDanny Gargan50-1
21 (AE)Epic RideAdam BeschizzaJohn Ennis
22 (AE)MugatuJoe TalamoJeff Engler

Kentucky Derby contenders

Fierceness, the Florida Derby winner, boasts the highest Beyer Speed Figure (BSF) in the field at 110. He was the fastest 2-year-old last year and the fastest 3-year-old so far this year.

Sierra Leone won the Blue Grass Stakes and is one of the fastest finishers in the race. He notched a 98 BSF last time out at Keeneland and hopes to take advantage of tiring horses down the stretch in the Kentucky Derby.

Catching Freedom appears to be improving at the right time for trainer Brad Cox. Catching Freedom earned a 97 BSF for his Louisiana Derby victory on March 22.

Japan sends two to Derby

Forever Young, from Japan, won the UAE Derby in his last start. No Japanese-bred horse or UAE Derby winner has ever won the Kentucky Derby. However, he is arguably Japan’s best chance to claim the roses.

T O Password earned his way into the starting gate by way of Japan’s Road to the Kentucky Derby. His running style should place him near the front early in the race.

Trifecta of Italian jockeys

World-renown Italian jockey Frankie Dettori will ride Society Man. Society Man finished second at 106-1 odds in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 6.

A second Italian rider, Antonio Fresu, will make his first career Kentucky Derby appearance on Stronghold. The Santa Anita Derby winner is arguably one of the toughest horses in the race. Stronghold has six career starts at six different race tracks and has never finished worse than second.

Endlessly, the Michael McCarthy trainee, will be making his first career start on a dirt surface in the Kentucky Derby. Italian rider Umberto Rispoli has the mount. Endlessly ran his first four races on turf and his latest two on a synthetic surface, which is more similar to turf than dirt. He has won five of six career races.

Horses earn buzz ahead of Kentucky Derby

Just a Touch finished second behind Sierra Leone in the Blue Grass Stakes. Just a Touch earned a 96 BSF in the process. His father is Kentucky Derby winner and Triple Crown champion Justify.

Honor Marie finished second by one length in the Louisiana Derby behind Catching Freedom. The 96 BSF he earned in that race was a career-best.

Will experience help Derby contenders?

No horse in the Kentucky Derby has more race experience than Just Steel. The Run for the Roses will be his 12th career start. His last race, a second-place finish in the Arkansas Derby, was a career-best effort as he earned a 95 BSF.

Mystik Dan earned his spot in the Kentucky Derby starting gate with a win in the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park in February. Mystik Dan earned a 101 BSF. He did not run nearly as well in the Arkansas Derby, his next start, when he notched an 89 BSF, though he ran very wide that day.

Track Phantom earned a lot of intrigue in the initial months on the Road to the Kentucky Derby as he earned front-running victories in the Gun Runner Stakes and Lecomte Stakes at Fair Grounds. In his latest two starts, however, he got passed by other runners in the Risen Star and Louisiana Derby. He earned a career-best 94 BSF while finishing fourth last time out in the Louisiana Derby.

Kentucky Derby contenders from Florida

Grand Mo The First enters the Kentucky Derby off a career best race in the Florida Derby when he earned an 87 BSF. He did finish 16 lengths back of Fierceness in that race, though.

Catalytic earned a career-best 90 BSF while finishing second, more than 13 lengths behind Fierceness, in the Florida Derby.

Domestic Product, the Tampa Bay Derby winner, enters the Kentucky Derby off a two-month layoff, which has not proved to be an advantageous move in recent years. He did, however, finish in front of Fierceness two starts back in the Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park in February.

In March, Dornoch beat four other horses in the Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park. He followed that up with a fourth-place finish, beaten by more than six lengths, in the Blue Grass Stakes.

Kentucky-based runners ship into Churchill Downs

West Saratoga finished second last time out to Endlessly in the Jeff Ruby Steaks at Turfway Park in March. He earned a career-best 85 BSF for that effort.

One of trainer Brad Cox’s other Derby starters, Encino won the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland last time out. He earned a 94 BSF for the effort, which was a career-high. He enters the Kentucky Derby on a three-race win streak and figures to be among the early pacesetters in the race.

Resilience carries Derby hopes from New York

Resilience posted a career-best effort in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct on April 6, earning a 90 BSF in victory. He finished fourth in the Risen Star Stakes behind three other Derby contenders: Sierra Leone, Track Phantom, and Catching Freedom.

Two horses on outside looking in

Two horses, Epic Ride and Mugatu, are on the Kentucky Derby also-eligible list. Epic Ride will need one scratch between now and Saturday morning to get into the Derby. He finished third in the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland.

Mugatu will need two defections to run on Saturday. He finished fifth in the Blue Grass Stakes last time out.

Kentucky Derby champion Rich Strike was on the also-eligibles list in 2022. He drew into the race on Derby morning and is one of the biggest long shots ever to win the race at odds of 80-1.

Kentucky Derby storylines

From high-priced horses and billionaire owners to horse racing trainers seeking their first trip to the Kentucky Derby winner’s circle, the annual “Run for the Roses” is full of interesting storylines.

Kentucky Derby 2024 brings some international flare, too. Japan has one of its best chances to win in recent years with Forever Young, while three Italian jockeys will fill the starting gate.