Post positions have been drawn for the 2024 Kentucky Derby, and Florida Derby winner Fierceness will attempt to do what no other horse has done before. The reigning juvenile champion drew post No. 17 for the Kentucky Derby 2024 on Saturday at Churchill Downs. In 149 previous editions of the Kentucky Derby, 44 horses have left from the No. 17 post, but none has won. Still, Fierceness is the 5-2 favorite in the 2024 Kentucky Derby odds. Blue Grass Stakes winner Sierra Leone, who drew post No. 2, is the 3-1 second choice in the 2024 Kentucky Derby field.
Louisiana Derby winner Catching Freedom (8-1), Japanese invader Forever Young (10-1) and Blue Grass Stakes runner-up Just a Touch (10-1) round out the top five favorites among the 2024 Kentucky Derby contenders. The 2024 Kentucky Derby post time is 6:57 p.m. ET. With the Kentucky Derby annually featuring the largest field in North American racing, you’ll want to see what Santa Anita-based racing reporter and analyst Michelle Yu has to say before making any 2024 Kentucky Derby picks, considering the success she’s had handicapping this race.
Few people in racing are as well-connected as Yu. An on-air host and reporter who has provided racing analysis for TVG, HRTV and the Breeders’ Cup, Yu has spent a lifetime in racing. Prior to her television career, she worked for trainers Steve Asmussen and Ron Moquett. She also is married to Santa Anita-based trainer Ryan Hanson.
Yu also has tremendous handicapping chops. In a wide-open Kentucky Derby in 2021, she gave out Medina Spirit, who crossed the finish line first, as the winner at 12-1. In Pool 5 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager two years ago, she suggested a play on All Other 3-Year-Olds, which cashed at a whopping 18-1 when Rich Strike won the Derby.
Yu enters this year’s Kentucky Derby on a roll. She correctly called National Treasure to win the Pegasus World Cup. In the month leading up to the Kentucky Derby, she predicted Stronghold’s upset win in the Santa Anita Derby and smashed the exacta in the Apple Blossom Handicap.
For the first leg of the Triple Crown, Yu has handicapped the 2024 Kentucky Derby lineup, made her picks and constructed her best bets. You can head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2024 Kentucky Derby predictions
One surprise: Yu is fading Fierceness, even though he is the 5-2 Kentucky Derby favorite. No one questions the horse’s top-end talent, as his three wins have come by a combined 31 lengths, but his consistency is in doubt. The horse has never won back-to-back races across five starts, which makes a victory in his last race concerning for the Kentucky Derby 2024.
Also concerning is that Fierceness drew the No. 17 post, the only one that has never produced a Kentucky Derby winner, going 0-for-44. Fierceness is saddled by Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, who has had a rough go of it at Churchill Downs in recent years. None of his last 12 starters has even hit the board, and over half of those starters finished outside the top 10. Given the short odds, Fierceness has too many questions regarding him to utilize in 2024 Kentucky Derby bets.
Another curveball: Yu is high on Just a Touch, even though he’s a longshot at 10-1 in the Kentucky Derby odds 2024. He’s a target for anyone looking for a huge payday. Just a Touch is one of the least experienced 2024 Kentucky Derby horses. He has started just three times; only Japanese invader T O Password (two starts) has fewer starts.
Yu likes that Just a Touch drew perfectly in the No. 8 post. From there, he figures to sit behind the speed horses and save ground going into the first turn. “This is the kind of year that a horse with one lifetime win can capture the blanket of roses with the right trip,” Yu told SportsLine. You can see all of Yu’s 2024 Kentucky Derby bets here.
How to make 2024 Kentucky Derby picks
Moreover, Yu’s top pick is a horse who “will be happy to get the added ground” at Churchill Downs. She’s also high on a massive double-digit longshot who “showed some grit” in his last race. She is including these horses in her 2024 Kentucky Derby bets, and so should you. She’s sharing which 2024 Kentucky Derby horses to back at SportsLine.
So who wins the 2024 Kentucky Derby? What double-digit longshot is a must-back? And how has Yu constructed her wagers? Visit SportsLine to see Yu’s picks for the Kentucky Derby, all from the Santa Anita-based racing insider who has a long history of success in the Kentucky Derby, and find out.
