Post positions drawn for Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks. See the full fields with odds.
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Kentucky Derby 150 preview
Click below to view more coverage from the Lexington Herald-Leader and Kentucky.com previewing the 150th Kentucky Derby to be held May 4, 2024, at Churchill Downs in Louisville.
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Fierceness, the Todd Pletcher trainee who won the Florida Derby by more than 13 lengths last month, was installed as the 5-2 morning-line favorite for Saturday’s historic 150th edition of the $5 million Kentucky Derby.
A winner in three of his five career starts, Fierceness was assigned post position 17 for the Derby. That’s the only post position to have never produced a Kentucky Derby winner.
On Tuesday, Encino, which drew post position 9, was scratched from the Kentucky Derby. All horses that drew post positions from 10-20 will shift inside one gate. These horses’ program numbers won’t change.
As such, Fierceness will now race from post position 16 and Stronghold will occupy unlucky starting gate number 17.
Epic Ride (morning-line odds of 50-1) moved off the Also Eligible list and into the Derby field due to Encino’s scratch. Epic Ride will depart from starting gate 20.
The post position draw for both the 2024 Kentucky Derby and the Kentucky Oaks (the companion race for fillies) took place Saturday night at Churchill Downs in Louisville.
Other top morning-line choices for the Derby were Sierra Leone, who was given post position 2 and assigned morning-line odds of 3-1. A late charger, Sierra Leone impressively won the Blue Grass Stakes last month at Keeneland in come-from-behind fashion.
Sierra Leone is attempting to become the first Blue Grass winner to double up with the Derby since 1991 (Strike the Gold).
The third choice, according to the morning line, is Catching Freedom at 8-1 odds. The Louisiana Derby winner will depart from post position 4.
The two Japanese horses that are set to run in Derby 150 were given starting spots right next to each other.
T O Password (JPN), which earned entry into the Derby via the Japanese qualifying pathway, was assigned post position 10, but he will leave from post position 9. T O Password has morning-line odds of 30-1.
Forever Young (JPN), the winner of the UAE Derby and a perfect 5-for-5 in his racing career, will leave from post position 10 (after drawing post position 11) at odds of 10-1.
Among the other early projected long shots in the Derby field are three other horses with odds of 50-1. Those horses are West Saratoga (post position 12), Grand Mo the First (No. 15) and Society Man (No. 19).
The post position that has produced the most Kentucky Derby winners is No. 5. That starting gate has produced 10 winners over the years.
Catalytic, trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. (who prior to last year’s Derby was indefinitely suspended from all Churchill Downs-owned tracks), will leave from that starting spot this year.
Kentucky Derby
When: 6:57 p.m. Saturday, May 4.
Where: Churchill Downs
TV: NBC and Peacock.
Purse: $5 million (Grade 1)
Distance: 1 1/4 miles
For: 3-year-old Thoroughbreds
Kentucky Derby field, with odds:
1. Dornoch (20-1)
2. Sierra Leone (3-1)
3. Mystik Dan (20-1)
4. Catching Freedom (8-1)
5. Catalytic (30-1)
6. Just Steel (20-1)
7. Honor Marie (20-1)
8. Just a Touch (10-1)
9. Encino (scratched)
10. T O Password (30-1). Will leave from post position 9.
11. Forever Young (10-1). Will leave from post position 10.
12. Track Phantom (20-1). Will leave from post position 11.
13. West Saratoga (50-1). Will leave from post position 12.
14. Endlessly (30-1). Will leave from post position 13.
15. Domestic Product (30-1). Will leave from post position 14.
16. Grand Mo the First (50-1). Will leave from post position 15.
17. Fierceness (5-2). Will leave from post position 16.
18. Stronghold (20-1). Will leave from post position 17.
19. Resilience (20-1). Will leave from post position 18.
20. Society Man (50-1). Will leave from post position 19.
21. Epic Ride (50-1). Will leave from post position 20.
Also eligible:
22. Mugatu
Note: Horses listed as also-eligible only gain entry to the Kentucky Derby field if one of the primary 20 horses is scratched before 9 a.m. Friday.
All starters and also-eligible horses for the race must have been stabled at Churchill Downs by 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 27.
Brad Cox trainee Tarifa named Kentucky Oaks favorite
The Brad Cox-trained Tarifa, a winner in the Fair Grounds Oaks and in four of her five career starts, was installed as the 7-2 morning-line favorite for the Kentucky Oaks, which is also celebrating its 150th edition this year.
Tarifa will begin the Oaks from post position 8.
The Todd Pletcher-trained Leslie’s Rose, a surprise winner in this month’s Ashland Stakes at Keeneland, will leave from the furthest outside post position, 14. Leslie’s Rose has morning-line odds of 4-1.
Several other top picks for the Oaks also drew outside posts. This group includes the Chad Brown-trained Ways and Means (post position 11 and morning-line odds of 5-1) and the Bill Mott-trained Just FYI (post position 13 and morning-line odds of 9-2).
Kentucky Oaks
When: 5:51 p.m. Friday, May 3.
Where: Churchill Downs
TV: USA Network and Peacock
Purse: $1.5 million (Grade 1)
Distance: 1 1/8 miles
For: 3-year-old fillies
Kentucky Oaks field, with odds:
1. Tapit Jenallie (scratched)
2. Gin Gin (30-1)
3. Where’s My Ring (15-1)
4. Regulatory Risk (20-1)
5. Thorpedo Anna (5-1)
6. Lemon Muffin (30-1)
7. Fiona’s Magic (30-1)
8. Tarifa (7-2)
9. Everland (30-1)
10. Into Champagne (30-1)
11. Ways and Means (5-1)
12. Power Squeeze (12-1)
13. Just FYI (9-2)
14. Leslie’s Rose (4-1)
15. Our Pretty Woman (15-1)
Also eligible:
16. Candied
This story was originally published April 27, 2024 at 8:41 PM.
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