Jockey Joel Rosario will be inducted into the Racing Hall of Fame on August 2, but inscribers may want to wait until after the 2024 Kentucky Derby before finishing his plaque. Rosario will ride Track Phantom in the Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs as he seeks his second Kentucky Derby victory, a feat which would make its way onto that Hall of Fame plaque. Rosario is a regular at Churchill Downs, as the Kentucky Derby 2024 will be his 13th start at the race over the last 15 years. He’s finished in the money just twice, but did win aboard Orb in 2013. Orb was the post-draw favorite back then, while Track Phantom is a 20-1 longshot in the 2024 Kentucky Derby odds after drawing the No. 12 post at Saturday’s 2024 Kentucky Derby post position draw.
Florida Derby winner Fierceness is the 5-2 favorite for the race on Saturday, May 4, while Blue Grass Stakes winner Sierra Leone is 3-1. The 2024 Kentucky Derby post time is 6:57 p.m. ET. With the Kentucky Derby annually featuring the largest field in North American racing, you’ll want to see what Santa Anita-based racing reporter and analyst Michelle Yu has to say before making any 2024 Kentucky Derby picks, considering the success she’s had handicapping this race.
Few people in racing are as well-connected as Yu. An on-air host and reporter who has provided racing analysis for TVG, HRTV and the Breeders’ Cup, Yu has spent a lifetime in racing. Prior to her television career, she worked for trainers Steve Asmussen and Ron Moquett. She also is married to Santa Anita-based trainer Ryan Hanson.
Yu also has tremendous handicapping chops. In a wide-open Kentucky Derby in 2021, she gave out Medina Spirit, who crossed the finish line first, as the winner at 12-1. In Pool 5 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager two years ago, she suggested a play on All Other 3-Year-Olds, which cashed at a whopping 18-1 when Rich Strike won the Derby.
Yu enters this year’s Kentucky Derby on a roll. She correctly called National Treasure to win the Pegasus World Cup. In the month leading up to the Kentucky Derby, she predicted Stronghold’s upset win in the Santa Anita Derby and smashed the exacta in the Apple Blossom Handicap.
For the first leg of the Triple Crown, Yu has handicapped the 2024 Kentucky Derby lineup, made her picks and constructed her best bets. You can head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2024 Kentucky Derby predictions
One surprise: Yu is fading Fierceness, even though he is the 5-2 Kentucky Derby favorite. The only consistent aspect about Fierceness is his inconsistency. He’s alternated wins and losses through five starts, so every time he builds up faith in bettors’ eyes with a victory, he has a tendency to then let them down in the following race. Thus, a Florida Derby win in his last start could be cause for concern for the Kentucky Derby 2024.
Owner Mike Repole of Repole Stable has sent seven previous starters to Churchill Downs and left disappointed each time. None of the seven have even finished on the board, and they have an average finish of 12.1. Given that history and Fierceness’ up-and-down nature, Yu isn’t getting behind the horse at these short 2024 Kentucky Derby odds. Yu told SportsLine, “He has thrown in the towel the two times someone eyeballed him. Unless Fierceness matures mentally between now and the Kentucky Derby, which is not impossible, I think owner Mike Repole will again leave Louisville disappointed.”
Another curveball: Yu is high on Just a Touch, even though he’s a longshot at 10-1 in the Kentucky Derby odds 2024. He’s a target for anyone looking for a huge payday. Trained by Cox, Just a Touch has one win and two seconds in three career starts. He is coming off a runner-up finish to Sierra Leone in the Blue Grass Stakes.
Yu likes that Just a Touch has improved with every start. He earned an 89 Beyer Speed Figure when winning his six-furlong debut and improved that figure to a 90 in the Gotham Stakes. His Blue Grass effort earned a 96 Beyer. “This is the kind of year that a horse with one lifetime win can capture the blanket of roses with the right trip,” Yu told SportsLine. You can see all of Yu’s 2024 Kentucky Derby bets here.
How to make 2024 Kentucky Derby picks
Moreover, Yu’s top pick is a horse who “will be happy to get the added ground” at Churchill Downs. She’s also high on a massive double-digit longshot who “showed some grit” in his last race. She is including these horses in her 2024 Kentucky Derby bets, and so should you. She’s sharing which 2024 Kentucky Derby horses to back at SportsLine.
So who wins the 2024 Kentucky Derby? What double-digit longshot is a must-back? And how has Yu constructed her wagers? Visit SportsLine to see Yu’s picks for the Kentucky Derby, all from the Santa Anita-based racing insider who has a long history of success in the Kentucky Derby, and find out.
