Kentucky Derby odds: 1 narrow favorite emerges in Las Vegas
Speaking with their dollars, bettors and bookmakers in Nevada have made Eclipse Award winner Fierceness a clear albeit narrow favorite for Kentucky Derby 2024.
Caesars Sportsbook, Circa Sports and the Westgate Superbook, the three shops that take futures action on the Derby, all showed the runaway winner of the Grade 1 Florida Derby with slightly shorter odds this week than deep-closing Blue Grass (G1) victor Sierra Leone.
Ed DeRosa’s fair odds for Kentucky Derby 2024.
Fierceness had a best price Wednesday morning of 3-1 at Caesars, which had him as a 7-2 co-favorite last week. The same book kept Sierra Leone at 7-2.
Circa shortened Fierceness from 3-1, or plus 300, to plus 280. It took Sierra Leone from plus 325 to plus 375.
The Westgate held Fierceness firm at plus 275 while drifting Sierra Leone from those odds to plus 325.
Encino, who won Saturday in the Lexington Stakes (G3) at Keeneland, made the biggest move in the futures market. He opened at 100-1 on Sunday and was bet down to 65-1 at Caesars. He was cut to 40-1 at the other two shops. Encino had been 350-1 at Circa and 300-1 at the Westgate last week.
The three Las Vegas-based bookmakers are expected to keep these futures pools open until sometime April 27. Derby entries will be taken and post positions drawn that evening. Then the books will open new win pools in which the start of the race May 4 will be action. In the current pre-draw market, the bet itself is action, meaning no refunds are made even if a horse does not start the race.
These were the Kentucky Derby futures odds showing on the Circa, Caesars and Westgate apps in Nevada on Wednesday morning. They are listed in order of their best prices shown in bold.
| Kentucky Derby 2024 | Caesars | Circa | Westgate | Last race, track |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fierceness | 3-1 | +280 | +275 | 1st Florida Derby (G1), GP |
| Sierra Leone | 7-2 | +375 | +325 | 1st Blue Grass (G1), KEE |
| Forever Young | 10-1 | 9-1 | 10-1 | 1st UAE Derby (G2), MEY |
| Catching Freedom | 12-1 | 9-1 | 10-1 | 1st Louisiana Derby (G2), FG |
| Dornoch | 10-1 | 14-1 | 10-1 | 4th Blue Grass (G1), KEE |
| Honor Marie | 10-1 | 16-1 | 18-1 | 2nd Louisiana Derby (G2), FG |
| Mystik Dan | 16-1 | 17-1 | 20-1 | 3rd Arkansas Derby (G1), OP |
| Just a Touch | 20-1 | 20-1 | 20-1 | 2nd Blue Grass (G1), KEE |
| Track Phantom | 20-1 | 17-1 | 20-1 | 4th Louisiana Derby (G2), FG |
| Resilience | 20-1 | 20-1 | 25-1 | 1st Wood Memorial (G2), AQU |
| Domestic Product | 26-1 | 15-1 | 18-1 | 4th Tampa Bay Derby (G3), TAM |
| Just Steel | 30-1 | 25-1 | 25-1 | 2nd Arkansas Derby (G1), OP |
| Stronghold | 25-1 | 25-1 | 30-1 | 1st Santa Anita Derby (G1), SA |
| Endlessly | 50-1 | 25-1 | 30-1 | 1st Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3), TP (aw) |
| Encino | 65-1 | 40-1 | 40-1 | 1st Lexington (G3), KEE |
| Hades (g) | 75-1 | 7th Lexington (G3), KEE | ||
| West Saratoga | 40-1 | 75-1 | 100-1 | 2nd Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3), TP (aw) |
| Catalytic | 75-1 | 100-1 | 100-1 | 2nd Florida Derby (G1), GP |
| Society Man (g) | 100-1 | 110-1 | 100-1 | 2nd Wood Memorial (G2), AQU |
| Deterministic | 35-1 | 125-1 | 50-1 | 8th Wood Memorial (G2), AQU |
| T O Password | 125-1 | 103-1 | 100-1 | 1st Fukuryu, NAK |
| Uncle Heavy | 125-1 | 5th Wood Memorial (G2), AQU | ||
| Common Defense | 65-1 | 100-1 | 200-1 | 5th Louisiana Derby (G2), FG |
| Grand Mo the First | 100-1 | 75-1 | 200-1 | 3rd Florida Derby (G1), GP |
| Epic Ride | 125-1 | 100-1 | 300-1 | 3rd Blue Grass (G1), KEE |
| aw - all-weather | ||||
| g - gelding |