With Bob Baffert suspended from Churchill Downs, D. Wayne Lukas reigns as the track’s most distinguished active trainer. Entering the 2024 Kentucky Derby, he’s won the first leg of the Triple Crown four times, which trails only Baffert (six) and the deceased Ben Jones (six). On Saturday, May 4, Lukas will send his 50th starter to the Kentucky Derby 2024 with Just Steel. The horse has a connection to Baffert, as Just Steel is the son of Justify, whom Baffert saddled to the Triple Crown in 2018.
Just Steel has been active and already raced 11 times, but having just two wins places him as a 25-1 longshot, per the latest 2024 Kentucky Derby odds. If you want to use the favorites in your horseracing bets, then Fierceness (3-1) or Sierra Leone (7-2) appeal as better 2024 Kentucky Derby horses. With so much to consider while making your 2024 Kentucky Derby picks, a little expert help can go a long way.
The 2024 Kentucky Derby marks the 100th anniversary of the historic race on May 17, 1924. It was then when Black Gold galloped to victory from the No. 1 post to give owner Rosa Hoot the biggest win of her career. Hoot was also the horse’s breeder, so this marked the first time in Kentucky Derby history that a woman both owned and bred the winner. Black Gold would not compete in the Preakness or Belmont, while his life would end where his career began. His first victory came at New Orleans Fair Grounds, and then as a 7-year-old in 1928, he broke his leg during a race at the same track. He still managed to finish the race on three legs, but would be euthanized afterwards and is buried on the infield of the New Orleans Fair Grounds.
Given all the history, there’s a method to picking which horses to focus on for exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets in a Kentucky Derby like this, and SportsLine expert Jody Demling knows what it is. He can help you make the best 2024 Kentucky Derby picks possible.
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, he’s sharing all of his 2024 Kentucky Derby bets here.
Top 2024 Kentucky Derby expert picks
Here’s a refresher on these types of bets from SportsLine’s Jody Demling:
Kentucky Derby Exacta: Pick the first- and second-place finishers in the correct order. A $2 exacta returned $330.44 at the 2023 Kentucky Derby with Mage and Two Phil’s.
Kentucky Derby Trifecta: Pick the first-, second- and third-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 trifecta returned $982.36 at the 2023 Kentucky Derby with Mage, Two Phil’s and Angel of Empire.
Kentucky Derby Superfecta: Pick the first-, second-, third- and fourth-place finishers in the correct order. A $1 superfecta returned a colossal $15,643.65 at the 2023 Kentucky Derby with Mage, Two Phil’s, Angel of Empire and Disarm.
Demling is not taking Fierceness (3-1) to win this year, even though he’s the favorite. Instead, he is building his tickets around Sierra Leone and a massive double-digit longshot who “keeps getting better and better.” You can see his picks here.
How to make 2024 Kentucky Derby bets
Demling has specific recommendations for exacta, trifecta and superfecta wagers so you can cover all your bases at the Kentucky Derby 2024. He’s sharing them over at SportsLine.
So which horses do you take? And in what combinations? Visit SportsLine to get Demling’s picks for exacta, trifecta and superfecta bets for the 2024 Kentucky Derby.
