If it’s December, it’s time for making present purchases and charitable donations, reconnecting with household and mates, holding Seasonal Affective Dysfunction at bay, and maybe most necessary of all for horseplayers, protecting tabs on contenders for the next spring’s Kentucky Derby Offered by Woodford Reserve.

A number of qualifying factors races have already been held over the previous three months, and different proficient 2-year-olds have emerged within the Derby dialogue after profitable or operating properly in maiden and allowance races across the nation.

Forecasting the sector — and even taking a stand on a possible winner backed by a future wager — is an annual spotlight of Kentucky Derby season, and the bookmakers at Caesars Sportsbook in Las Vegas are taking fixed-odds future wagers on the 150^th Derby, which will likely be held at historic Churchill Downs on Could 4, 2024.  

Caesars, like many different bookmakers, has expanded its attain out into a number of different states after sports activities playing has change into authorized, together with Kentucky this fall the place it has partnered with Keeneland Race Course and the Crimson Mile harness monitor in Lexington. Nevertheless, as of this writing, solely Caesars’ Nevada e-book is providing fixed-odds future wagers on the Kentucky Derby. The identical is true – once more, as of this writing – for different platforms that supply Derby swimming pools and have launched within the Bluegrass state and elsewhere.

Along with the Vegas futures, Churchill Downs has accomplished two pari-mutuel Derby future wager swimming pools, the latest one closing on Nov. 26. The “all others” choice completed with 6-5 odds, whereas FanDuel Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Offered by TAA winner Fierceness led particular person entries at odds of 8-1. The following Derby future wager parimutuel pool will run from Jan. 19-21, adopted by one every in March and April.

Dec. 3 Caesars Sportsbook Odds Leaders to Win the 2024 Kentucky Derby:

1. Fierceness (15-1)

2. Nysos (20-1)

3. Locked (30-1)

4. Knightsbridge (35-1)

5. Muth (40-1)

5. Nash (40-1)

5. The Wine Steward (40-1)

Present leaders:

Not surprisingly, Fierceness tops the futures e-book in early December after his eye-catching bounce-back win within the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita Park on Nov. 3. The Mike Repole homebred skilled by Todd Pletcher rewarded devoted supporters at 16.50-1 odds within the Juvenile with a blowout 6 ¼-length win, on reflection arguably probably the most spectacular efficiency of the two-day World Championships. Now, can he transfer ahead from that? Time will inform, after all, and proper now 15-1 as a future wager can be an underlay for any 2-year-old Derby prospect in latest reminiscence (together with American Pharoah, who as chances are you’ll recall was recovering from an damage again in December 2014). Learn Mile Curry’s latest profile of Fierceness on America’s Greatest Racing’s Triple Crown web page.

Juvenile runner-up Muth and third-place Locked are getting 40-1 and 30-1 odds, respectively, and naturally it have to be famous that Muth has not accrued any qualifying Kentucky Derby factors from his three stakes appearances to this point, together with his spectacular win within the American Pharoah Stakes. That’s because of Churchill Downs’ choice to increase its ban of any Bob Baffert-trained horses from the Kentucky Derby by way of 2024. The ban additionally applies to Nysos, who has gained his two races in California, together with the Bob Hope Stakes, by a mixed 19 ¼ lengths for Baffert and proprietor Baoma Corp.

As for Locked, the Pletcher-trained winner of the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity ought to resurface in Florida in early 2024 for a Derby prep. He was simply getting going late within the FanDuel Juvenile, closing to complete a half-length behind Muth, and has a stable pedigree for dealing with extra distance as a son of prime younger sire Gun Runner and out of a dam who’s a half-sister (identical dam [mother], totally different sire [father]) to At all times a Princess and Gabby’s Golden Gal. Each of these fillies gained graded stakes at 1 1/16 miles or longer.

Knightsbridge and Nash are proverbial “buzz” horses, each owned and bred by worldwide powerhouse Godolphin Racing and coming off of dominant maiden wins in November. Knightsbridge gained first out on Nov. 4 at Churchill Downs for Corridor of Fame coach Invoice Mott, taking a seven-furlong maiden race by a widening 10 ½ lengths and incomes a 103 Equibase Pace Determine. The Nyquist colt needed to regular early on however recovered and shot away from the sector in early stretch whereas being saved to job by jockey James Graham. This colt is a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Speaker’s Nook, who did his finest racing on the one-mile distance, and his second dam (maternal grandmother) is 2006 Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Spherical Pond.

Nash, skilled by Brad Cox, improved from a runner-up end in his October debut at Keeneland to win a 1 1/16-mile maiden race at Churchill by 10 ¼ lengths Nov. 23. The Medaglia d’Oro colt shot to the lead instantly beneath Florent Geroux, cruised by way of the backstretch and much flip, and opened up in early stretch with a number of shakes of the reins in a visually spectacular effort that netted a 104 Equibase Pace Determine. His dam is Sara Louise, who gained the one-mile Prime Flight Handicap, and he’s from the household of Forbidden Kingdom, who gained the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe Stakes again in 2022 however in any other case additionally carried out finest in sprints.

Knightsbridge is Florida-bound for the winter and Nash will ship to Truthful Grounds, per Each day Racing Type’s Marcus Hersh.

Latest prep winners:

Two years in the past, the Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct turned out to be each an thrilling race and a key Triple Crown prep for the highest two finishers, as Mo Donegal nipped Zandon by a nostril following some bumping in deep stretch. Mo Donegal skilled on to complete fifth within the 2022 Kentucky Derby after which gained the Belmont Stakes Offered by NYRA Bets, whereas Zandon checked in third within the Derby behind longshot Wealthy Strike and Epicenter.

It’s early, however final Saturday’s Remsen end impressed comparable anticipation for what lies forward. Dornoch, a full brother (identical sire [father] and dam [mother]) to 2023 Kentucky Derby winner Mage, was in full management for a lot of the 1 1/8-mile race till midstretch, when maiden winner Sierra Leone got here charging from final to interact after which transfer forward of him. In a particular case of “one thing you don’t typically see in a 2-year-old,” Dornoch responded when challenged and fought again gamely on the rail to prevail by a nostril.

The Remsen was Dornoch’s fourth profession race and second win in a row for coach Danny Gargan following a 6 ½-length blowout in a Keeneland maiden occasion going 1 1/16 miles the place he didn’t swap leads within the stretch however nonetheless gained simply. The son of champion Good Magic confirmed inexperience once more within the Remsen but additionally expertise and dedication, and the identical might be mentioned of Sierra Leone, a Chad Brown-trained colt who was solely making his second begin and appeared to ease up a bit after he took a brief lead earlier than lugging into his rival. Sierra Leone is one other Gun Runner-sired prospect who gained his first race, a one-turn mile at Aqueduct, by 1 ¼ lengths on Nov. 4. His dam is Heavenly Love, winner of the 1 1/16-mile, Grade 1 Darley Alcibiades Stakes as a 2-year-old in 2017, and intriguingly, his second dam, 1 1/16-mile stakes winner Darling My Darling, is a half-sister to Zenno Rob Roy, who was Horse of the Yr in Japan again in 2004 and gained seven profession races that averaged out to a distance of practically 1 5/16 miles, together with the mile-and-a-half Japan Cup.

Dornoch is obtainable on Caesars’ newest sheet at odds of 50-1, whereas Sierra Leone is at 75-1, each good worth at this level within the Derby prep season. Learn Mike Curry’s evaluation of Dornoch as a Derby prospect right here.

4 to observe:

Observe Phantom was a standout performer on Churchill Downs’ “Stars of Tomorrow” card on the Nov. 25 closing Saturday of its fall meet, romping by 4 ¾ lengths in a 1 1/16-mile maiden race. He had beforehand completed third and second in one-mile maiden races at Churchill Downs, the runner-up end coming behind Actual Males Violin on Oct. 29 throughout one other 2-year-old showcase card at Churchill. In his November victory, the High quality Street colt shook off some tempo strain on each turns to kick clear late beneath Joel Rosario. The Steve Asmussen trainee is out of Miss Sundown, who gained the seven-furlong, Grade 2 Lexus Raven Run Stakes, and his dam’s-side pedigree tilts towards pace, with one exception being $2.27-million incomes a number of graded stakes-winning router Prayer for Reduction. He’s provided at 75-1 odds on Caesars’ Dec. 3 sheet.

Actual Males Violin, who defeated Observe Phantom again in October, subsequently completed a stable second in a while the Nov. 25 card at Churchill Downs behind Honor Marie within the Kentucky Jockey Membership Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile qualifying factors race for the 150^th Kentucky Derby. Actual Males Violin is price a take a look at 100-1 on Caesars’ e-book, and so is Honor Marie at 75-1 (learn Mike Curry’s profile of him right here). One other Churchill performer, Otto the Conqueror, didn’t race on Nov. 25 however gained twice earlier this fall beneath the Twin Spires, and his final victory has been flattered significantly by subsequent occasions. The Avenue Sense colt romped by 4 lengths in a seven-furlong allowance-optional claiming race on Oct. 29 for Asmussen and proprietor Three Chimneys Farm, with Honor Marie checking in second and Simply Metal, winner of the Nov. 25 Ed Brown Stakes at Churchill, nabbing third.

Otto the Conqueror is coaching at Oaklawn Park this month and will resurface within the one-mile Remington Springboard Mile, additionally a Derby factors race, on Dec. 15 at Remington Park as he tries two turns for the primary time. He has but to run worse than second by way of three begins, ending only a size behind subsequent Avenue Sense Stakes winner Liberal Arts again in August at Ellis Park after which profitable twice at Churchill. Though his dam, Dream It Is, did her finest operating in sprints, this runner possesses stamina deeper in his bloodline, highlighted by European champion filly Bosra Sham. Otto the Conqueror is getting 125-1 odds at Caesars, whereas Simply Metal sits at 150-1 and Liberal Arts at 100-1.

Up in New York, first-time starter Otello closed to take a one-turn mile race by a neck over the pacesetter in his profession debut on Nov. 4 at Aqueduct. He was bottled up behind three horses in early stretch and needed to shift to the within after his exterior path closed off, however Otello nonetheless was in a position to rally late for the victory. Based mostly on the attention take a look at and his pedigree, this Curlin colt skilled by Christophe Clement ought to relish two turns and added distance, though he may be pointed to turf races down the highway. Otello’s dam, Isabella Sings, gained 4 graded stakes routing on turf, and he’s additionally associated to Campanologist, who followers might bear in mind from a dozen years or so in the past as a global competitor who excelled in races a mile and 1 / 4 or longer. Otello is obtainable at 150-1 odds by Caesars.

Lastly, Brendan Walsh-trained Snead gained his second consecutive begin Nov. 23 at Truthful Grounds, driving clear to win a 1 1/16-mile allowance-optional claiming race by 7 ¼ lengths. He beforehand rallied to take a one-turn-mile maiden race at Churchill by 1 ½ lengths on Oct. 29, and is 2-for-4 total. Snead made a sweeping transfer to the lead on the prime of the stretch however then appeared to ease up for a number of strides earlier than regaining focus and momentum beneath robust dealing with from jockey Jareth Loveberry. Nonetheless, he earned a superb Equibase Pace Determine of 97 and is one other colt who ought to wager higher as his races get longer. The son of 2016 Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist is out of an unraced A.P. Indy mare who’s a full-sister to champion and 2006 Preakness Stakes winner Bernardini. Worthy of consideration at present 100-1 odds from Caesars.