2024 Kentucky Derby horses, futures, odds, date: Expert who called 10 Derby-Oaks Doubles divulges picks (2024)

Mystik Dan is one of the more intriguing horses entering the 2024 Kentucky Derby for race fans who don't want to play the favorite but also don't want to chase a huge longshot. The colt ran his first Grade 1 stakes at the Arkansas Derby on March 30 and finished third, coming on late to finish in the money. Mystik Dan had the third-shortest odds in the Arkansas Derby field.. Even though the Arkansas Derby is one of the higher-profiled Kentucky Derby prep races in each season, the 2024 Kentucky Derby field will be a significant rise in talent.

Mystik Dan is 16-1 in the 2024 Kentucky Derby odds and recently won the Southwest Stakes. Should you consider Mystik Dan for 2024 Kentucky Derby bets at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 4? Sierra Leone is the 7-1 favorite in the latest Kentucky Derby odds 2024. Before making any 2024 Kentucky Derby picks, be sure to see the horse racing predictions and futures bets from SportsLine's elite horse racing expert Jody Demling.

A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling enters the 2024 Kentucky Derby having nailed the winner of the Belmont Stakes four of the last six years, including an exacta in 2022 with Mo Donegal and Nest. He also called Flightline's win at the Breeders' Cup Classic in November of that year.

Demling is at his best in the biggest horse races in the world like the Kentucky Derby 2024. In fact, he has hit 10 of the last 15 Derby-Oaks doubles at Churchill Downs. That means he held a ticket with the winners of both races all but five times in the last 15 years. He's also called 10 of the last 19 Preakness winners, including nailing his Preakness winner, exacta and superfecta picks in 2023, keenly understanding when the Kentucky Derby winner was poised for victory or a massive upset. Anyone who has followed him is up huge.

Now, with the 2024 Kentucky Derby odds already on the board, Demling is sharing his picks and 2024 Kentucky Derby predictions over at SportsLine. Go here to see them.

Top 2024 Kentucky Derby predictions

One of Demling's surprising 2024 Kentucky Derby picks: He is fading Fierceness, even though he's one of the top favorites at 9-1 and just won the Florida Derby. Fierceness is 2-for-2 in Grade 1 stakes races, including winning the Florida Derby on March 30. Although the Florida Derby is one of the top non-Triple Crown races of each year, Always Dreaming was the last horse to win both races, doing so in 2017.

Before the Florida Derby victory, Fierceness finished third in a Grade 3 stakes race on February 3 and he also had a seventh-place finish on his five-race resume. Fierceness won the Breeders' Cup on November 3 in his first Grade 1 stakes race, but the high-profile victory in Florida will drive down his price and you can't ignore the disappointing showings around the impressive victories. Demling doesn't see value in backing Fierceness as one of the favorites for the 2024 Kentucky Derby.See which other 2024 Kentucky Derby horses to avoid at SportsLine.

Another stunner: Demling is high on Honor Marie, even though he's a 35-1 longshot. He's a target for anyone looking for a huge payday. Honor Marie was a two-time winner during his 2-year-old season, including a win in the 2023 Kentucky Jockey Club in November. He opened his 2024 season with a fifth-place finish in the Risen Star before finishing second in the Louisiana Derby last month.

The Kentucky-bred horse was sired by Honor Code, who won multiple Grade 1 races to go along with a third-place finish behind American Pharoah and Effinex in the 2015 Breeders' Cup Classic. Honor Marie has already clinched a spot in the 2024 Kentucky Derby lineup due to his previous prep races, so bettors can feel comfortable locking him in now. Demling likes what he has seen from Honor Marie, especially considering his current price on the 2024 Kentucky Derby odds board.See which other horses to back at SportsLine.

How to make 2024 Kentucky Derby picks, bets

2024 Kentucky Derby odds, futures