The 150th Kentucky Derby is this weekend. The positions have been set. Fans have started to gather. Festivities have already begun, and yet we’re still more than four days away from the fastest two minutes in sports.
Twenty horses will compete for arguably the most coveted crown in racing. The winner will receive $3.1 million, a huge uptick from the $1.86 million that went to the winner just a year ago. The total purse has also increased drastically to $5 million, up from $3 million last year. Second place will earn $1 million, third will earn $500,000, fourth will earn $250,000 and fifth will earn $150,000. There’s clearly a lot on the line for everyone involved.
Here are the latest predictions and odds for this year’s Run for the Roses.
Kentucky Derby 2024: Time, date, TV and streaming info for 150th Run for the Roses
Predictions for 2024 Kentucky Derby:
James Scully: Fierceness finishes in fifth place
This year’s favorite is none other than Fierceness, with 5-2 odds, per CBS Sports. However, the kentuckyderby.com writer is fading the frontrunner, likely because of Fierceness’ inconsistency. Fierceness has never won two races in a row. Instead, Scully has Sierra Leone, the second-favorite (3-1 odds), winning.
Kaitlin Free: Forever Young and Just a Touch to finish second and third place
To call Forever Young and Just a Touch longshots would be a disservice. Those horses are currently tied for the fourth-best odds to win the Kentucky Derby at 10-1. However, having Forever Young and Just a Touch finish ahead of both Fierceness (the odds-on favorite) and Catching Freedom (many experts’ favorite upset pick) is definitely a bold claim.
Odds for 2024 Kentucky Derby:
Odds via CBS Sports, as of Monday, April 29.
How to watch 2024 Kentucky Derby:
When: Saturday, May 4, 2024
Where: Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky
Coverage starts: 2:30 p.m. ET
Time: 6:57 p.m. ET; 3:57 p.m. PT
TV: NBC; USA TV Network
Stream: NBC Sports app; Peacock
Watch the race: Stream the Kentucky Derby with a Peacock subscription
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2024 Kentucky Derby: Predictions, odds, time for 150th annual race
