Ohio Derby Handicapping Picks
Horse racing gamblers are you looking for 2024 Ohio Derby Free Pick & Handicapping Odds…plus some predictions? Need some advice on who to take? The 2024 (G3) Ohio Derby is set for June 22 at Thistledown Racino in North Randall, OH. Here’s a preview of our top contenders.
Ohio Derby Preview
- Race: Ohio Derby
- Purse: $500,000
- Track: Thistledown Racing
- Date: June 22
- Post Time: 6:30 PM (ET)
- Live: Ohio Derby Odds: Click Here
Before we can give you our expert 2024 Ohio Derby free pick, we have to break down the entries! In fact, we’d love to hear from you after you’ve given this post a read to see if you see an angle that we don’t!
2024 Ohio Derby Handicapping
While not a race that every handicapper circles on the calendar, the big purse on offer in the (G3) Ohio Derby is always an enticement for trainers to ship into the track near Cleveland and take a shot. This year’s Derby features several that spent some time on the Triple Crown trail this past spring and others trying to step up into the top ranks of stakes racing.
The race is open to horses age three, and is is run at 1 1/8 miles on the Thistledown dirt track. Ten are expected to go the gate, with a lot of betting value available beyond the morning line favourite.
Odds listed here are provided by the Thistledown track oddsmaker.
2024 Ohio Derby Free Pick & Handicapping: Catching Freedom Race Odds: 9-5
A Grade 2 winner of the Louisiana Derby, the late running Catching Freedom had to deal with a lot of traffic in the Kentucky Derby and still managed to get up for a respectable fourth-place finish, albeit he was no match for the top three.
Against a smaller field in the Preakness Stakes he was closer to the early pace, but that pace wasn’t all that fast and he wasn’t able to close on the leader much in the stretch, settling for third. He’s getting a significant drop in class here from those two races and should be prominent in the stretch drive once again.
2024 Ohio Derby Free Pick & Handicapping: Copper Tax Race Odds: 7-2
A $45,000 purchase, Copper Tax has put almost 10 times that amount in the bank for his connections while racking up seven wins in 10 lifetime starts.
He’s been unbeatable in lower level stakes, with four wins in four tries, but is 0-for-2 in graded stakes events. He’s a versatile runner that can go to the front or sit off the pace, and comes into this off a win at the distance. He has also won on both fast and muddy tracks.
Uncle Heavy Race Odds: 6-1
Another in the field that made a brief appearance in the Triple Crown series, Uncle Heavy ran evenly when finishing sixth last out in the Preakness.
That was his second straight off-the-board finish after having won three of his first four lifetime starts, including the (G3) Withers Stakes at Aqueduct back in February. While not a likely win candidate, he’s also getting some significant class relief here from his last two and could very well get up for a piece of it.
Batten Down Race Odds: 8-1
After getting beat by just a neck and then a half-length in his second and third lifetime starts, Batten Down put it all together last out in scoring his maiden win by more than eight lengths in a wire-to-wire romp going 1 1/4 miles at Churchill Downs.
Unlike others mentioned here, he’s one that now has to step up in competition level as he takes on winners for the first time.
Here’s My 2024 Ohio Derby Free Pick.
Based strictly on back-class, Catching Freedom is the one to beat here, as he has been very close to the top three-year-olds in his previous two and won’t be facing any of those on Saturday. At the same time, he seems to be very pace-dependent and if the early fractions are slow, he has a hard time making up ground in the stretch.
He could very well be even money when the gates open at Thistledown, and I think it’s worthwhile to try and beat him. Last out going 1 1/4 miles they put Batten Down on the lead and he controlled things all the way and had lots left in the tank at the end.
Now with the cut back in distance, I expect the connections to try much the same thing again. He may have some company up front in the form of Gould’s Gold, but I don’t think that one can get the distance, while Batten Down is bred to run all day.
He’s my pick to get the upset at what should be a good price, with Copper Tax rounding out a nice exacta.
Full Field: 2024 Ohio Derby Odds
By post position
- #1 – Frizzante 15-1
- #2 – Gould’s Gold 5-1
- #3 – Charleston 30-1
- #4 – Copper Tax 7-2
- #5 – Uncle Heavy 6-1
- #6 – Deposition 12-1
- #7 – Who’s The King 20-1
- #8 – Catching Freedom 9-5
- #9 – Batten Down 8-1
- #10 – Mugatu 12-1
2024 Ohio Derby Racebooks / Betting Apps We Like!
- VIP Program
- Mobile Betting
- Crypto
- Early Lines
- High Limits
- NEW VIP Rewards
- VIP Program
- Crypto
- Live & Mobile Betting!
- Crypto
- Live & Mobile Betting
- 48 Hour Payouts
- 35% Crypto Bonus
- Live Betting
- Mobile Friendly
Register here for a FREE Sports Betting Account Now for Daily Free Picks & More Special Offers! Please Follow our LINKTR.EE.
OUR Top 3 Racebooks are — MYBookie — Bovada — BetOnline
