Kentucky Derby 2024 live tracker, post-time and odds: Latest betting ...
The latest news, updates, highlights and insights from the 2024 Kentucky Derby.
Dana O'Neil, Andrew DeWitt and more
May 4, 2024 at 6:37 PM EDT
(Photo: Horsephotos / Getty Images)
(Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The 2024 Kentucky Derby will be the 150th running of the annual horse race in Louisville, Ky. Celebrities, famous athletes and horse racing enthusiasts will descend on Churchill Downs for the annual Run for the Roses.
The field is limited to 20 horses each year, and they qualify for the race through a series of point races. Only horses that are three years old are eligible to race in the Kentucky Derby, and it is open to both male and female horses.
The race is 1 1/4 miles long. Secretariat set the Kentucky Derby record in 1973 with a race time of 1:59 2/5. That record was set 50 years ago and still stands today. The race is commonly referred to as “the fastest two minutes in sports” (with variations also crowning it “the greatest two minutes” and “the most exciting two minutes”).
Saturday's weather forecast calls for a high of 79 with scattered showers.
The post-time for the 150th Kentucky Derby is set for 6:57 p.m. ET. The Kentucky Derby isn’t the only race on Derby Day at Churchill Downs — more than 10 races will be held starting at 10 a.m.
How to watch: Television coverage for the 2024 Kentucky Derby starts at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC. All coverage can also be streamed on Peacock.
Required reading
What makes Churchill Downs so special? The quirks, traditions of the Kentucky Derby’s homeKentucky Derby 2024 picks: The six factors that past winners have in commonWest Saratoga is a Kentucky Derby long shot. But so was his trainerThe jockeys are making their way to the paddock right now. Here we go.
(Photo: Dana O'Neil / The Athletic)
Here's the view of the Grandstand from the turf course as we're only 20 minutes away from the Derby.
Here's my biggest question before the 150th Kentucky Derby.
Is Forever Young a contender? The Japanese horse is undefeated in five races, but none of those races have been in the United States.
It did win the UAE Derby and is in the upper-tier of favorites in this race.
Here's what our handicapper Teresa Genaro had to say about Forever Young: Unlike the fellow Japanese-bred to his inside, Forever Young won a race in the main Derby prep series, the UAE Derby at Meydan in Dubai. Undefeated in five starts, none on wet tracks, he’s been a buzz horse since that race in March, and as Japanese horses are increasingly finding success at U.S. tracks, he’s been talked up as perhaps the one that will finally win the Derby for Japan. No doubt he’s talented, but I’m skeptical.
No horse that won the UAE Derby has finished in the top 5 at the Derby. That may change today.
Martha Stewart has single-handedly moved T O Password from 61-1 to 47-1
Just a quick reminder that horse racing is wildly different than regular betting because your odds aren’t locked in when you buy the ticket. If you got Fierceness at 2pm at 7-2 and he’s 3-2 when the race goes off… those are your odds. It makes it a little more fun, in a weird way
Trainer Steve Asmussen, shirt sleeves rolled to his elbows, is personally sponging down Track Phantom. It's warm out here.
So far the rain has held off but the forecast calls for potential precipitation in the next hour. At the track, it's overcast but no signs of rain yet, and some blue skies are holding in the direction of the first turn.
Here's the updated odds with 30 minutes until post time. There's no real surprises here.
Fierceness has moved to 3-1.
Dornoch 22-1Sierra Leone 9-2Mystik Dan 17-1Catching Freedom 8-1Catalytic 33-1Just Steel 22-1Honor Marie 14-1Just a Touch 11-1Encino (scratched)T O Password 47-1Forever Young 6-1Track Phantom 40-1West Saratoga 22-1Endlessly 47-1Domestic Product 28-1Grand Mo the First 47-1Fierceness 3-1Stronghold 36-1Resilience 31-1Society Man 46-1Epic Ride 45-1The horses have made their way into the Paddock. Next up, the jockeys walk out and its time for Riders up.
(Photo: Hannah Vanbiber / The Athletic)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Woodford Reserve Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall is the company's third master distiller and the first woman to hold the position. She arrived in a dress designed by Sergio Hudson, the designer to the stars, famous for styling women like Michelle Obama, Beyoncé, Rihanna and Jennifer Lopez. McCall and Hudson walked the red carpet together, toting the $5,000 gold Woodford Reserve commemorative mint julep cup.
The horses have begun walking over to the paddock for the 150th Kentucky Derby.
The new $200 million paddock has been the best new thing at this Kentucky Derby.
It's easy to see the horses from every angle of the paddock as it sits down a few feet inside a bowl and there's great energy in the area as horses prepare for their races.
Endlessly, a longshot in this race, is shown on the big screen and he seems a little frustrated with his handler walking him down the track.
It's easy to forget but this is an intimidating experience for these horses. They usually don't run in front of crowds this large and the noise coming from the track is loud.
GO FURTHER
Kentucky Derby: Inside Churchill Downs’ redesigned paddock — better views, high-roller perks
Track Phantom took the No. 1 spot in our horse name power rankings, and the namesake of the horse — TrackPhantom.com — is actually an incredibly smart and detailed resource. We asked the man behind the site, Dave Valento, for his pick to win
I believe it is a two-horse race (at least for me) between Honor Marie and Sierra Leone. I think Sierra Leone is the best horse in the race, and has overcome less than ideal pace and bias situations. His late kick is one of the best I’ve ever seen for a 3YO colt at this time of the year. The #2 post is an issue as it gives the rider just one option. He’ll have to lag far back and come around horses. He prefers that style so not totally a bad thing. Honor Marie, my top pick, is arching into a career best. His 20-1 ML was the differentiator but I have those two as 1 and 1A. Of course, you have to give a long look to my namesake, Track Phantom. The problem is that since 1980, just 17% of the total superfecta slots have been filled by a controlling speed or a pace pressing speed. In contract, closers from last or near last have made up 48% of the total superfecta spots since 1980. He is talented but the trip and distance have me a bit concerned.
You can see all our expert picks here.
What's the atmosphere at Churchill Downs in the final minutes before the walkover starts to the paddock? A weird mix of upbeat music, some overly-served fans chugging water and a loud constant chatter as everyone is in their boxes and waiting for the Derby to start.
(Photo: Dana O'Neil / The Athletic)
The Repole Family, which owns the favorite Fierceness, has a group hug as he walks over to the paddock.
Benjamin Gies, a Louisville native, has been attending the Kentucky Derby since he was 12-years old.
Today, he's rocking a bright red suit from head-to-toe and his special 150th Kentucky Derby bowtie.
The bowtie is made by Peak bowties out of a small house off Central Avenue by Churchill Downs.
(Photo: Dana O'Neil / The Athletic)
Favorite Fierceness gets his pre-race hose down.
(Photo: Hannah Vanbiber / The Athletic)
A hat from Derby history: Patty Ethington’s giant red hat by Christine A. Moore Millinery sat in the Kentucky Derby Museum for 10 years after an AP photo of it went viral. In celebration of the 150th anniversary, Moore and Ethington planned to bring the hat back — with a few changes to honor the anniversary. All the additions can be removed to return the hat to its original look.
With one hour until post time for the 150th Kentucky Derby, here are the updated odds.
We've seen significant movement in the last hour as bets come into the most popular horse race of the year.
