Chad Brown has built an impressive resume over the past decade, establishing himself as one of the nation’s top horse trainers. Brown became the third person to win the Eclipse Award for outstanding trainer four years in a row in 2019, but one major accomplishment has eluded him. Brown has never trained a Kentucky Derby winner, but that could all change this year at the 2024 Kentucky Derby. Brown has two 2024 Kentucky Derby horses, Sierra Leone and Domestic Product, in the 2024 Kentucky Derby field. Sierra Leone is among the top contenders set to race in the 150th Run for the Roses on Saturday at 6:57 p.m. ET.
Sierra Leone is going off at 3-1 in the latest 2024 Kentucky Derby odds, trailing only Fierceness (5-2). Domestic Product is among the 2024 Kentucky Derby longshots at 30-1. With the Kentucky Derby annually presenting the toughest handicapping challenge of the year, you’ll want to see what CBS Sports analyst Tim Doyle has to say before making any 2024 Kentucky Derby picks, considering he crushed the Kentucky Derby last year.
The 41-year-old Doyle says he has been betting horses since he was 12, having grown up less than 20 miles from both Belmont Park and Aqueduct Racetrack in New York. He prefers to play multirace wagers, from doubles to Pick 6s. And in 2020, he had the biggest score of his life, hitting a $150,000 Pick 5 at Oaklawn Park.
During last year’s Triple Crown, Doyle was on fire. He correctly called 15-1 longshot Mage to win the Kentucky Derby and 8-1 longshot Arcangelo to win the Belmont Stakes.
For the first leg of the Triple Crown, Doyle has handicapped the 2024 Kentucky Derby lineup, made his picks and constructed his best bets. You can head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2024 Kentucky Derby predictions
One surprise: Doyle is completely fading Sierra Leone, even though he is one of the top favorites at 3-1 in the 2024 Kentucky Derby odds. Sierra Leone has recorded three wins in four starts. He’s already defeated nine of the other 21 horses entered in the Kentucky Derby 2024, so he’ll be confident ahead of Saturday’s race at Churchill Downs.
However, Sierra Leone is trained by Chad Brown, who is 0-for-7 in the Kentucky Derby, with his best finish coming in 2018 when Good Magic finished in second place. “This late closer will be coming from far back and will need help navigating a full field,” Doyle told SportsLine. “If he gets the right trip, he certainly can win, but lots of factors come into place when you’re trying to pass 15 to 19 horses.” See who else to fade here.
Another curveball: He is high on the chances of Japanese invader Forever Young, even though he’s a 10-1 longshot. No horse from Japan has ever won the Kentucky Derby, but Forever Young is a proven winner. He has crossed the finish line first in each of his last five starts, including a pair of important graded-stakes races. He won the 2024 UAE Derby in March and the 2024 Saudi Derby in February.
The Japanese-bred horse is one of two horses in the 2024 Kentucky Derby field with an undefeated record and the only undefeated horse with at least three starts. “So much of the Derby is the right trip, and this horse has proven time and time again that he can be wide and lose ground without it making a difference,” Doyle said. You can see all of Doyle’s 2024 Kentucky Derby bets here.
How to make 2024 Kentucky Derby picks
Moreover, Doyle’s top pick is a horse who “will be in position from the jump.” He’s also high on a massive double-digit longshot who “can navigate through other horses” for an epic victory. Doyle is including these horses in his 2024 Kentucky Derby bets, and so should you. He’s sharing which 2024 Kentucky Derby horses to back at SportsLine.
So who wins the 2024 Kentucky Derby, and what double-digit longshot is a must-back at Churchill Downs? Visit SportsLine to see Doyle’s picks for the Kentucky Derby 2024, all from the horse racing expert who called the winner of last year’s Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, and find out.
