The winner of the 2024 Kentucky Derby was Mystik Dan at closing odds of 18-1. Sierra Leone (9-2) finished in second, followed by Forever Young (6-1) in third. Next year’s edition will come our way on May 3 from Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. This page covers all the Derby odds for the biggest horse race of the year, along with information about betting on the Kentucky Derby.
Kentucky Derby recap
At post time for the 2024 Kentucky Derby, Fierceness was the favorite at odds of 3-1, followed by Sierra Leone (9-2) and Forever Young (6-1). Here’s how it all shook out.
| Finish | Horse | Jockey/Trainer | Post | ML Odds | Final Odds | Time | Winnings |
| 1 | Mystik Dan | Hernandez Jr./McPeek | 3 | 20-1 | 18-1 | 2:03.34 | $3,100,000 |
| 2 | Sierra Leone | Gaffalione/Brown | 2 | 3-1 | 9-2 | Nose | $1,000,000 |
| 3 | Forever Young | Sakai/Yahagi | 11 | 10-1 | 6-1 | Head | $500,000 |
| 4 | Catching Freedom | Prat/Cox | 4 | 8-1 | 8-1 | 1 3/4 lengths | $250,000 |
| 5 | T O Password | Franco/Cox | 10 | 30-1 | 47-1 | 6 1/2 lengths | $150,000 |
Kentucky Derby betting, meanwhile, set multiple records, including $320.5 million in total handle for the 14-race card. Online betting rose significantly from the previous year, with FanDuel Racing reporting that over 700,000 customers wagered on the Derby. The surprise at the top of the board led to some hefty payouts for winning bettors.
- Mystik Dan: W – $39.22, P – $16.32, S – $10
- Sierra Leone: P – $6.54, S – $4.64
- Forever Young: S – $5.58
- $2 exacta: $258.56
- $0.50 trifecta: $556.92
- $1 superfecta: $8,254.07
- $1 super high five: $316,920.10
Kentucky Derby final odds
The table below has the final odds at post time for all of the entrants, along with the 2024 Kentucky Derby morning line odds.
| Post | Horse | Jockey | Trainer | Post Time Odds | Morning Line Odds |
| 1 | Dornoch | Luis Saez | Danny Gargan | 22-1 | 20-1 |
| 2 | Sierra Leone | Tyler Gaffalione | Chad Brown | 9-2 | 3-1 |
| 3 | Mystik Dan | Brian Hernandez | Ken McPeek | 18-1 | 20-1 |
| 4 | Catching Freedom | Flavien Prat | Brad Cox | 8-1 | 8-1 |
| 5 | Catalytic | Jose Ortiz | Saffie Joseph, Jr. | 34-1 | 30-1 |
| 6 | Just Steel | Keith Asmussen | D. Wayne Lukas | 21-1 | 20-1 |
| 7 | Honor Marie | Ben Curtis | Whit Beckman | 14-1 | 20-1 |
| 8 | Just a Touch | Florent Geroux | Brad Cox | 11-1 | 10-1 |
| 9 | Encino | Axel Concepcion | Brad Cox | SCRATCHED | SCRATCHED |
| 10 | T O Password (JPN) | Kazushi Kimura | Daisuke Takayanagi | 47-1 | 30-1 |
| 11 | Forever Young (JPN) | Ryusei Sakai | Yoshito Yahagi | 6-1 | 10-1 |
| 12 | Track Phantom | Joel Rosario | Steve Asmussen | 40-1 | 20-1 |
| 13 | West Saratoga | Jesus Castanon | Larry Demeritte | 22-1 | 50-1 |
| 14 | Endlessly | Umberto Rispoli | Michael McCarthy | 47-1 | 30-1 |
| 15 | Domestic Product | Irad Ortiz, Jr. | Chad Brown | 28-1 | 30-1 |
| 16 | Grand Mo the First | Emisael Jaramillo | Victor Barboza | 48-1 | 50-1 |
| 17 | Fierceness | John Velazquez | Todd Pletcher | 3-1 | 5-2 |
| 18 | Stronghold | Antonio Fresu | Phil D’Amato | 35-1 | 20-1 |
| 19 | Resilience | Junior Alvarado | Bill Mott | 31-1 | 20-1 |
| 20 | Society Man | Frankie Dettori | Danny Gargan | 47-1 | 50-1 |
| 21 | Epic Ride | Adam Beschizza | John Ennis | 46-1 | 30-1 |
| 22 (AE) | Mugatu | Joe Talamo | Jeff Engler | SCRATCHED | SCRATCHED |
Kentucky Derby favorites
Below are the final point standings for 2024 Road to the Kentucky Derby contenders that earned 50 or more points.
- Sierra Leone – 155
- Fierceness – 136
- Catching Freedom – 125
- Stronghold – 125
- Resilience – 110
- Forever Young (JPN) – 100
- Endlessly – 100
- Dornoch – 75
- Just a Touch – 75
- Track Phantom – 70
- West Saratoga – 67
- Just Steel – 54
- Honor Marie – 65
- Domestic Product – 60
- Catalytic – 50
- Deterministic – 50
- Society Man – 50
Kentucky Derby future pool 6 final odds
Kentucky Derby future wager pools also offer a preview of which horses may be in the running. The first pool concluded on Nov. 2, 2023, while the sixth and final closed on April 6, 2024 and had a total handle of $376,038. The table below has the top 15 contenders from pool 6.
| Name | Pool 6 Odds |
| Fierceness | 5-2 |
| Sierra Leone | 7-1 |
| Forever Young | 8-1 |
| Deterministic | 12-1 |
| Catching Freedom | 12-1 |
| Dornoch | 12-1 |
| All other 3-year-olds | 22-1 |
| Just a Touch | 22-1 |
| Tuscan Sky | 24-1 |
| Honor Marie | 26-1 |
| Stronghold | 30-1 |
| Just Steel | 30-1 |
| Mystik Dan | 35-1 |
| Endlessly | 37-1 |
| Domestic Product | 40-1 |
Kentucky Derby news & notes
- Saturday, May 4: Mystik Dan wins the 2024 Kentucky Derby, clocking in at a time of 2:03.34 with final odds at post time of 18-1.
- Tuesday, April 30: Epic Ride, first on the also-eligible list, draws into the Kentucky Derby starting gate. Encino, in post position No. 9, has been announced as a scratch by trainer Brad Cox.
- Monday, April 22: Fierceness arrives at Churchill Downs in advance of the derby. The winner of the Florida Derby, Fierceness was second in the point standings and the top choice in Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pool 6.
- Sunday, April 21: Trainer Christophe Clement has removed Deterministic from the Kentucky Derby field. Grand Mo The First joins the list of 20 entrants.
- Saturday, April 20: Sierra Leone puts in a four-furlong workout at Keeneland, clocking in at 48.8 seconds. Tops in the derby points standings and the second choice in the most recent futures pool, Sierra Leone projects as one of the favorites.
Kentucky Derby historical pool odds
Below are the results of the first five Kentucky Derby futures pools in advance of the 2024 edition of the race.
| Name | Pool 5 | Pool 4 | Pool 3 | Pool 2 | Pool 1 |
| Fierceness | 9-1 | 16-1 | 8-1 | 8-1 | 29-1 |
| Sierra Leone | 7-1 | 6-1 | 13-1 | 36-1 | NA |
| Forever Young | 12-1 | 21-1 | 34-1 | NA | NA |
| Deterministic | 16-1 | 93-1 | 99-1 | NA | NA |
| Catching Freedom | 26-1 | 31-1 | 28-1 | 52-1 | 49-1 |
| Dornoch | 13-1 | 9-1 | 15-1 | 19-1 | 19-1 |
| All other 3-year-olds | 11-1 | 5-1 | 2-1 | 6-5 | 4-5 |
| Just a Touch | 31-1 | 27-1 | NA | NA | NA |
| Tuscan Sky | 36-1 | 31-1 | 88-1 | NA | NA |
| Honor Marie | 35-1 | 36-1 | 25-1 | NA | NA |
| Stronghold | 48-1 | 99-1 | 99-1 | 99-1 | 101-1 |
| Just Steel | 99-1 | 79-1 | 99-1 | NA | NA |
| Mystik Dan | 16-1 | 21-1 | NA | 99-1 | NA |
| Endlessly | 59-1 | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Domestic Product | 33-1 | 80-1 | NA | 99-1 | 79-1 |
Races leading up to the Kentucky Derby
Each prep race on the road to the Kentucky Derby awards points to the top four finishers. The top 20 horses clinch spots in the Kentucky Derby starting gate. Here are the winners of the completed races to date.
| Date | Race (Track) | Winner (Points) | Trainer | Odds |
| Sept. 16, 2023 | Iroquois (Churchill Downs) | West Saratoga (10) | Demerritte/Bejarano | 8-1 |
| Oct. 7, 2023 | Champagne (Aqueduct) | Timberlake (10) | Cox/Geroux | 7-2 |
| Oct. 7, 2023 | American Pharoah (Santa Anita) | Muth (10) | Baffert/Hernandez | 1-1 |
| Oct. 7, 2023 | Breeders’ Futurity (Keeneland) | Locked (10) | Pletcher/Ortiz | 3-5 |
| Oct. 29, 2023 | Street Sense (Churchill Downs) | Liberal Arts (10) | Medina/Torres | 8-1 |
| Nov. 3, 2023 | Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (Santa Anita) | Fierceness (30) | Pletcher/Velazquez | 6-1 |
| Nov. 25, 2023 | Kentucky Jockey Club (Churchill Downs) | Honor Marie (10) | Whitworth Beckman/Bejarano | 8-1 |
| Dec. 2, 2023 | Remsen (Aqueduct) | Dornoch (10) | Gargan/Saez | 5-2 |
| Dec. 15, 2023 | Springboard Mile (Remington Park) | Otto the Conqueror (10) | Asmussen/Gaffalione | 5-2 |
| Dec. 16, 2023 | Los Alamos Futurity (Los Alamitos) | Wynstock (10) | Baffert/Frey | 5-1 |
| Dec. 23, 2023 | Gun Runner (Fair Grounds) | Track Phantom (10) | Asmussen/Torres | 7-2 |
| Jan. 1, 2024 | Smarty Jones (Oaklawn Park) | Catching Freedom (10) | Cox/Torres | 9-2 |
| Jan. 6, 2024 | Jerome (Aqueduct) | Drum Roll Please (10) | Cox/Castellano | 6-5 |
| Jan. 20, 2024 | Lecomte (Fair Grounds) | Track Phantom (20) | Asmussen/Rosario | 9-5 |
| Feb. 3, 2024 | Southwest (Oaklawn Park) | Mystik Dan (20) | McPeek/Hernandez Jr. | 12-1 |
| Feb. 3, 2024 | Holy Bull (Gulfstream Park) | Hades (20) | Orseno/Lopez | 6-1 |
| Feb. 3, 2024 | Robert B. Lewis (Santa Anita) | Nysos (20) | Baffert/Prat | 4-5 |
| Feb. 3, 2024 | Withers (Aqueduct) | Uncle Heavy (20) | Reid Jr./Sanchez | 10-1 |
| Feb. 10, 2024 | Sam F. Davis (Tampa Bay Downs) | No More Time (20) | D’Angelo/Lopez | 12-1 |
| Feb. 17, 2024 | Risen Star (Fair Grounds) | Sierra Leone (50) | Brown/Gaffalione | 4-1 |
| Feb. 18, 2024 | Sunland Derby (Sunland Park) | Stronghold (20) | D’Amato/Fresu | 5-2 |
| Feb. 24, 2024 | Rebel (Oaklawn Park) | Timberlake (50) | Cox/Torres | 6-5 |
| March 2, 2024 | Battaglia Memorial (Turfway Park) | Encino (20) | Cox/Concepcion | 9-2 |
| March 2, 2024 | Fountain of Youth (Gulfstream Park) | Dornoch (50) | Gargan/Saez | 2-1 |
| March 2, 2024 | Gotham (Aqueduct) | Deterministic (50) | Clement/Rosario | 9-2 |
| March 2, 2024 | San Felipe (Santa Anita) | Imagination (25) | Baffert/Detttori | 6-1 |
| March 9, 2024 | Tampa Bay Derby (Tampa Bay Downs) | Domestic Product (50) | Brown/Gaffalione | 8-5 |
| March 23, 2024 | Fukuryo (Nakayama, Japan) | T O Password (40) | Takayanagi/Sameshima | 12-1 |
| March 23, 2024 | Louisiana Derby (Fair Grounds) | Catching Freedom (100) | Cox/Prat | 4-1 |
| March 23, 2024 | Jeff Ruby Steaks (Turfway Park) | Endlessly (100) | McCarthy/Rispoli | 5-2 |
| March 30, 2024 | UAE Derby (Meydan Racecourse) | Forever Young (100) | Yahagi/Sakai | 9-5 |
| March 30, 2024 | Arkansas Derby (Oaklawn Park) | Muth (100) | Baffert/Hernandez | 8-5 |
| March 30, 2024 | Florida Derby (Gulfstream Park) | Fierceness (100) | Pletcher/Velazquez | 8-5 |
| April 6, 2024 | Cardinal Condition Stakes (Chelmsford) | Bracken’s Laugh (30) | Hughes/Marsh | 9-1 |
| April 6, 2024 | Santa Anita Derby (Santa Anita) | Stronghold (100) | D’Amato/Fresu | 5-2 |
| April 6, 2024 | Blue Grass (Keeneland) | Sierra Leone (100) | Brown/Gaffalione | 2-1 |
| April 6, 2024 | Wood Memorial (Aqueduct) | Resilience (100) | Mott/Velazquez | 6-1 |
Kentucky Derby past performances
Below is a look at the career performance and earnings of the horses in the 2024 Kentucky Derby field.
| Post | Horse/ML Odds | Wins/Starts | Lifetime Earnings |
| 1 | Dornoch (20-1) | 3/6 | $552,275 |
| 2 | Sierra Leone (3-1) | 3/4 | $918,000 |
| 3 | Mystik Dan (20-1) | 2/6 | $641,360 |
| 4 | Catching Freedom (8-1) | 3/5 | $877,350 |
| 5 | Catalytic (30-1) | 1/3 | $216,825 |
| 6 | Just Steel (20-1) | 2/11 | $724,545 |
| 7 | Honor Marie (20-1) | 2/5 | $526,175 |
| 8 | Just a Touch (10-1) | 1/3 | $281,700 |
| 9 | Encino (SCRATCHED) | 3/4 | $378,315 |
| 10 | T O Password (JPN) (30-1) | 2/2 | $163,339 |
| 11 | Forever Young (JPN) (10-1) | 5/5 | $2,049,451 |
| 12 | Track Phantom (20-1) | 3/7 | $405,000 |
| 13 | West Saratoga (50-1) | 2/10 | $460,140 |
| 14 | Endlessly (30-1) | 5/6 | $707,200 |
| 15 | Domestic Product (30-1) | 2/5 | $314,200 |
| 16 | Grand Mo the First (50-1) | 2/6 | $214,650 |
| 17 | Fierceness (5-2) | 3/5 | $1,703,850 |
| 18 | Stronghold (20-1) | 3/6 | $827,200 |
| 19 | Resilience (20-1) | 2/6 | $494,630 |
| 20 | Society Man (50-1) | 1/5 | $196,705 |
| 21 | Epic Ride (30-1) | 2/5 | $253,166 |
| 22 (AE) | Mugatu (SCRATCHED) | 1/12 | $80,570 |
2025 Kentucky Derby race facts
There have been 150 runnings of the world’s most famous horse race. Here are some of the key points to know as we get ready for the 2025 Kentucky Derby:
- Location: Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky
- Distance: 1 ¼ miles
- Age qualifications: 3-year-old colts, geldings, fillies
- 2024 purse: $5 million
- 2025 race date: May 3
- Post time: 6:50 p.m. ET
- Where to watch: NBC
- Fastest time: 1:59.4, Secretariat, 1973
- Most wins by a trainer: Bob Baffert and Ben Jones, six
Kentucky Derby history
The Kentucky Derby first took place in 1875 and has been an annual event since. Aristides was the inaugural winner, clocking in at 2:37.75 over 1½ miles. The race evolved in the years that followed, with the length changing to 1¼ miles in 1896, where it remains to this day.
The race typically takes place on the first Saturday in May and serves as the first leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown. Derby winners tend to become favorites for the next two legs — the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes — but turning the trick of winning all three races has proven to be a difficult achievement.
To date, it has happened just 13 times, most recently by Justify in 2018. Secretariat holds the all-time speed record for the mile-and-a-quarter race at Churchill with a blistering time of 1:59.4 in 1973. Bob Baffert and Ben A. Jones are tied for the most Derby wins for a trainer with six, while Eddie Arcaro and Bill Hartack share the lead for jockeys with five wins apiece.
Past Kentucky Derby winner odds
Here is the most recent decade of Kentucky Derby winners and their final odds.
| Year | Winner | Post Position | Time | Trainer/Jockey | Final Odds |
| 2024 | Mystik Dan | 3 | 2:03.34 | McPeek/Hernandez Jr. | 18-1 |
| 2023 | Mage | 8 | 2:01.57 | Delgado/Castellano | 15-1 |
| 2022 | Rich Strike | 20 | 2:02.61 | Reed/Leon | 80-1 |
| 2021 | Mandaloun | 7 | 2:01.02 | Cox/Geroux | 15-1 |
| 2020 | Authentic | 18 | 2:00.61 | Baffert/Velazquez | 8-1 |
| 2019 | Country House | 20 | 2:03.93 | Mott/Prat | 65-1 |
| 2018 | Justify | 7 | 2:04.20 | Baffert/Smith | 5-2 |
| 2017 | Always Dreaming | 5 | 2:03.59 | Pletcher/Velazquez | 9-2 |
| 2016 | Nyquist | 13 | 2:01.31 | O’Neill/Gutierrez | 2-1 |
| 2015 | American Pharoah | 16 | 2:03.02 | Baffert/Espinoza | 5-2 |
Kentucky Derby FAQ
The next Kentucky Derby will take place on May 3 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race traditionally happens on the first Saturday in May.
Recently, the race has set the maximum at 20. The first race saw 15 horses, and the number has varied over the race’s history. In 2023, there were 18 horses at the starting gate.
The overall purse for the Kentucky Derby in 2024 was $5 million, with the winner, Mystik Dan, landing the first prize of $3,100,000. The inaugural winner in 1875 received $2,850.
We’ll get an official post time for the 2025 Kentucky Derby as we get closer to race day. The 2024 Kentucky Derby went off at 6:57 p.m. ET, the 12th of 14 races at Churchill Downs that day. The doors opened at 8 a.m. ET, allowing fans to take in the all-day experience.
General admission tickets for the Kentucky Derby go on sale online in November, starting at $60. As the date for the race nears, the tickets increase in price to $75 to $80, while purchasing a ticket on the day of the race itself will cost $85.
Historically, the Kentucky Derby has lasted just a little more than two minutes, ever since the move to 1.25 miles in 1896, which is where the phrase “the most exciting two minutes in sports” comes from.
Secretariat set the record for the fastest time in Kentucky Derby history in 1973 with a finish of 1:59.40. Monarchos is second with a time of 1:59.97 in 2001.
Eddie Arcaro and Bill Hartack are tied for the most wins as jockeys, each crossing the line first on five occasions. Bob Baffert and Ben A. Jones share the lead for trainers with six victories.
What do the Kentucky Derby odds mean?
The oddsmaker will consider a number of factors when setting the morning line. Any odds that come out for the Derby in advance of the draw are speculative, but they can serve as a ballpark guide of what to expect. These odds are not indicative of the oddsmakers’ opinions on each horse. Rather, their purpose is to act as a guess of how the public will wager prior to the race. Additionally, the morning line odds are not final. You can expect to see shifts in the numbers right up to post time. The more money people wager on a horse, the lower its odds, and vice versa.
Are these Kentucky Derby odds official?
Currently, post positions and morning-line odds have not been officially set by line makers. Typically, both of these are set the Wednesday before the Kentucky Derby, but this year, the draw will take place a full week before on April 27.
Once the field is set for the Derby, there will be a draw to determine post position for all participants in the race. The morning line odds for all entrants will come out a week in advance Below are factors that also play a role in determining odds:
- Performance in qualifying races.
- Public interest and expected wagering action.
- Pedigree, jockey, trainer, stable, and other ancillary factors.
After the lines are out, it’s time for bettors to digest and make their guesses. You can expect to see shifts in the numbers right up to post time.