Top 3 Horses You Can’t Afford to Miss Betting On the Kentucky Derby

The 150th Kentucky Derby is just days away, and anticipation for betting on the Kentucky Derby reaches a fever pitch! Three horses have separated themselves from the pack, and astute bettors are already diving deep into their Derby futures. Will Forever Young, Sierra Leone and Catching Freedom cross the finish line first?

Many horseplayers believe the world’s most popular horse race will be a fight between Bluegrass Stakes winner Sierra Leone and Florida Derby champ Fierceness. The next horse after the 3-1 second choice Sierra Leone and 5-2 top choice Fierceness is Louisiana Derby winner Catching Freedom at 8-1. Check out Kentucky Derby lines and analysis on the top 3 horses.

2024 Kentucky Derby Lines for the Top 3 Favorites to Win the Fastest 2 Minutes of Sports | MyBookie Horse Racing Betting Preview for the 1st Leg of the Triple Crown

2024 Kentucky Derby | 150th Running of the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve
Grade I stakes race | 1+1⁄4 mi (10 furlongs; 2,012 m)
Saturday, May 4, 2024
Churchill Downs | Louisville, Kentucky, United States

Forever Young 5-2 | Favorite Based on Odds

When he’s on, Fierceness is hands down the best three year old in the world. The 105 Beyer the Todd Pletcher runner posted when winning the Grade 1 Breeders Cup Juvenile last November was a scintillating performance.

In that race, Fierceness actually tracked the pacesetter before bounding away for the win. In his first race as a three year old, though, things didn’t go as well as Fierceness got pinballed at the start and had no desire to go after Hades and Domestic Product.

Fierceness bounced out of the Holy Bull with an unreal performance in the Florida Derby. But before inaugurating Fierceness as the Kentucky Derby winner, even though his 110 Beyer by far exceeds any of his competitors’ speed ratings, it’s important to note that the Florida Derby had seven entrants and none of which were close to Sierra Leone’s, or even Catching Freedom’s, quality.

In fact, the Florida Derby might have been the worst of the major preps in terms of decent runners. So Fierceness beat up a bunch of also rans while bounding on the lead posting easy fractions. After more handicapping, Fierceness is an underlay at 5-2.

Forever Young
Favorite Pick: Forever Young 5-2 | Betting on Kentucky Derby Lines
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Race

Sierra Leone 3-1 | Second Choice Based on Odds

The Bluegrass Stakes winner has a fantastic closing kick. He won the Bluegrass Stakes while navigating through a field of eleven, which means Sierra Leone is fantastic at moving via the cues from the jockey.

In this case, the jockey is Tyler Gaffalione who tends to do his best work on the biggest days. Gaffalione knows the horse well and Chad Brown is due for a Derby victory. But like Fierceness, there are some knocks.

Sierra Leone breaks from post position 2 and could get shuffled too far behind the pace to make up enough ground. Not only that, but he has yet to post a Beyer Fig remotely close to Fierceness’s.

One thing to like, and it’s an important thing to consider, is that Sierra Leone’s mind appears to be sharp, meaning he’s easily trainable and will do exactly what Gaffalione wants. If the set up works out, the Brown runner can run down the leaders in the stretch.

Sierra Leone
Second Pick: Sierra Leone 3-1 | Betting on Kentucky Derby Lines
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Race

Catching Freedom 8-1 | Third Choice Based on Odds

Another with a great closing kick, Catching Freedom goes for trainer Brad Cox. Right now, Cox might be the best trainer in the United States. However, Catching Freedom didn’t run overly fast when winning the Louisiana Derby.

Still, he closed from almost 9 lengths back at 1 3/16 miles. The Derby is 1 ¼, which means Catching Freedom has more real estate to unleash the closing kick. Like Sierra Leone, though, things must set up for him to catch the front runners in a 20 horse field.

If they do, the Cox runner is good enough to win the Derby but betting closes in this race doesn’t work out often. So think about it before laying money on Catching Freedom.

Catching Freedom
Third Pick: Catching Freedom 8-1 | Betting on Kentucky Derby Lines
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Race

2024 Kentucky Derby Field: Post Positions, Betting Odds, Jockeys, Trainers

Almost the Day of the Race
With Forever Young, Sierra Leone and Catching Freedom shaping up as the top 3 to win the race, don’t miss your chance to place your bets on the ‘Run for the Roses’! Head over to our Kentucky Derby betting page now and see if you can pick the champion!

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Triple Crown Betting Alert
Get ready to witness history in the making in 2024! As we gear up for the Kentucky Derby, remember to keep an eye on the news for the Preakness Stakes favorites and the Belmont Stakes favorites. Will there be a Triple Crown winner in 2024? Join us as we analyze the contenders and explore the thrilling possibilities, guiding you towards your winning bets on each leg of the Triple Crown journey!

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