Kentucky Derby & Oaks 2024 tips, preview and odds
The Kentucky Derby 2024 sets off for its 150th renewal on Saturday, May 4th at Churchill Downs Racecourse in Louisville Kentucky.
The action starts on Friday with the Oaks, for a two day treat of thrilling graded contests in the US with huge prizemoney up for grabs and a guarantee of drama and entertainment.
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The Derby is comprised of three-year-old horses who have quickly shown their ability in big races around the world, with many already hauling in hundreds of thousands in prize money.
Only the best seem to manage to emerge victorious in this prestigious race too, while they mainly hail from the US, there's a strong international contingent across the card on both days.
Secretariat is perhaps the most recognisable name to win the Kentucky Derby, having won in 1973, including the US Triple Crown: The Derby, the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes becoming an even more established name when the film Secretariat came out in 2010.
It goes to show how far reaching and famous the race is in the US and has long been attracting more and more attention overseas.
The race is a marquee event in US racing, that begins two weeks before any horseracing commences, with air shows, fireworks, hot air balloon races and much, much more!
Kentucky Derby 2024 odds
The Kentucky Derby is dominated by American-trained horses, with only three international winners in its history.
This year, Forever Young from Japan is the best chance of an international winner at around 8's in the market, while T O Password also represents the country's other chance for the US feature race.
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- Sierra Leone 5/2
- Fierceness 7/2
- Forever Young 8/1
- Catching Freedom 12/1
- Stronghold 14/1
- Just A Touch 16/1
- Honor Marie 20/1
- Resilience 20/1
- Domestic Product 25/1
- Dornoch 25/1
- Epic Ride 25/1
- Just Steel 25/1
- Mystik Dan 25/1
- Society Man 25/1
- Track Phantom 25/1
- T O Password 33/1
- Catalytic 40/1
- West Saratoga 50/1
- Grand Mo The First 66/1
- Mugatu 80/1
Kentucky Derby 2024 tips
- 23.00: Kentucky Oaks - Where's My Ring 10/1 & Leslie's Rose 5/1
- 23.00: Kentucky Derby - Fierceness 7/2 & Forever Young 8/1
Where's My Ring & Leslie's Rose
The Oaks sets off on Friday May, 3rd 11pm UK time with a potential 19 runners ready to take on the Grade 1 contest.
The Brad Cox-trained Tarifa, owned by Godolphin in the familiar blue silks is the main contender having won well last time out to Our Pretty Woman.
But it wasn't a comfortable victory by any means, with both jockeys very animated to get their fillies' to the finish first.
That gives the outsider, Our Pretty Woman, a great chance at reversing the form at big odds having posted some decent speed figures.
Where's My Ring showed great progression to win the Grade 3 Gazelle Stakes following a clear second to Kinza at Santa Anita in the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel.
She went clear to win comfortably to shed her maiden tag and that defeat behind Kinza was mostly due to not standing a chance on the run-in as the odds-on winner had gone clear.
It would be interesting to see her have a rematch but regardless, that form puts her right up there and she cruised round the bend to take up the lead so well, it really gives her a big chance here as an each-way fancy.
For a shorter odds punt one that may not even need to be backed each-way, but still should, is Leslie's Rose.
The filly has already placed in a Grade 2 before winning the Grade 1 Ahsland last time out at Keeneland, beating Just F Y I, who reappears as a rival in this contest.
Trained by Todd Pletcher, she stands a great chance at adding to his wins for the prestigious race having won back in 2021 with Malathaat.
Fierceness & Forever Young each-way
Irish jockey Ben Curtis is set to be handed a huge chance at making a name for himself in the USA after a bold move this season.
He's handed the mount on Honor Marie who's around 20/1 in the market with a week to go.
Now Forever Young does stand a great chance at winning this but has to put a stop to a long reign of US winners.
The colt has already won four from four, picking up £1.65m in earnings, with the majority of that coming from winning the Saudi Derby in Riyadh in February at odds-on.
But it was a wider margin success in the Group 2 UAE Derby next time out at Meydan beating Auto Bahn by two lengths, also as the odds-on favourite.
The three-year-old did have a strong weight advantage in that field carrying 10lb less than three rivals.
He could be a bit of a nomad winner with two Derby victories in two countries already, could he make it three?
The colt has a strong chance each-way while you can get a big price to bet straight win on Fierceness.
He's won the Florida Derby and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile already and once again has Todd Pletcher in the colours of the Repole Stable to boost his chances.
They know how to win a Derby and with John Velazquez on board, he's set to make all having won by over 13 lengths at Gulfstream last time out.
Tom Lunn's Racing Tips Profit + Loss
- October-April P+L: +141.39pts
- P+L from July 2023: +214.76pts
All odds correct at time of writing
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