LOUISVILLE, Ky. — With a bourbon toast and a crowd gathered around the new paddock patio, Fierceness landed 17th and was named the official Kentucky Derby favorite in the early morning race draw Saturday night . Although 17 has never won the Derby (0 of 44), Fierceness, with 5-2 odds set by Mike Bettaglia, might be ideally located on the outside of other speed horses. Sierra Leone, which secured the 2nd position, is Bettaglia’s second choice, with a record of 3-1. Affirmed is the last winner of the second position; this happened in 1978.
Fierceness owner Mike Repole has been bitten a lot here. None of his seven horses that reached the starting gate placed. In 2011, his big favorite Uncle Mo, scratched the day before the race due to a gastrointestinal illness and another favorite, Forte, was scratched last year by the athletics veterinarians due to a bruised hoof.
Repole, the fast-talking New Yorker who made his fortune on Vitamin Water, even has a somewhat cursed past with the city. He’s a graduate of St. John’s and one of the Johnnies’ biggest promoters (he spoke about the portal here earlier this week). St. John’s, of course, is coached by former Louisville coach Rick Pitino.
But this week, Repole is here for the horses, and he sat front and center at the first public draw in Derby history, with horses matched to their gates in a picturesque outdoor setting beneath the iconic twin spiers atop the renovated paddock terrace.
Although the Derby is steeped in tradition, the draw has never been assigned to a particular day or time. The move to Saturday was largely driven by practical reasons. This gives bettors and handicappers more time to review horses and odds, and requires horses to be at Churchill Downs by Saturday, providing veterinary access to participants for a full week. Coming on the heels of last year’s Derby, where five horses, including Repole’s Forte, were eliminated before the race and 12 horses died in the days surrounding the race, the added scrutiny is both wise and helpful.
But moving the draw also offered a few other bonuses. This gave the festivities the feeling of an official kick-off for the first time. Usually, people affiliated with Derby participants meet in a private setting, with fans of the race left to find out the positions and odds via live broadcast. But this year, the organizers moved it to Saturday and presented it to the public, if you will. While owners and trainers still gathered in a roped-off area and sipped bourbon delivered by waiters, fans stood four or five deep to watch and others leaned over the rails from private clubs at above the paddock.
Then they resumed their evening, with racing going on until 11 p.m., a constant stream of fans wandering around and taking advantage of the betting windows most in their Derby finery.
The change also gave locals a day to enjoy their track. In recent years, out-of-town visitors have begun their visits to the Derby well in advance of race day. In response, Louisvillians set aside days for themselves – first Thurby, but as that became more and more popular, came Champions Day (Wednesday), 502’s Day (Tuesday) and Dawn at the Downs (Sunday). and Monday).
2024 Kentucky Derby Odds
Job | Horse | Jockey | Odds |
---|---|---|---|
1 |
Dornoch |
Luis Saez |
20-1 |
2 |
Sierra Leone |
Tyler Gaffalione |
3-1 |
3 |
Mystical Dan |
Brian Hernandez Jr. |
20-1 |
4 |
Catch freedom |
Flavien Prat |
8-1 |
5 |
Catalytic |
Jose Ortiz |
30-1 |
6 |
Just steel |
Keith Asmussen |
20-1 |
7 |
Honor Marie |
Ben Curtis |
20-1 |
8 |
Just a touch |
Florent Géroux |
10-1 |
9 |
Encino |
Axel Concepcion |
20-1 |
ten |
To Password |
Kazushi Kimura |
30-1 |
11 |
Forever Young |
Ryusei Sakai |
10-1 |
12 |
Follow the ghost |
Joel Rosario |
20-1 |
13 |
West Saratoga |
Jesus Castanon |
50-1 |
14 |
Non-stop |
Umberto Rispoli |
30-1 |
15 |
National product |
Irad Ortiz Jr. |
30-1 |
16 |
Big Mo the first |
Emisael Jaramillo |
50-1 |
17 |
Ferocity |
Jean Velázquez |
5-2 |
18 |
Bastion |
Antonio Fresu |
20-1 |
19 |
Resilience |
Junior Alvarado |
20-1 |
20 |
Society man |
Frankie Dettori |
50-1 |
ALTERNATE |
Epic ride |
Adam Beschizza |
50-1 |
ALTERNATE |
limit |
Joe Talamo |
50-1 |
(Photo: Provider: Matt Stone / The Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK)