The 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby is set for Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville. Post time is 6:57 p.m. ET with live coverage on NBC.
Renegade is the 4-1 morning line favorite, but the Todd Pletcher-trained horse drew the unenviable rail position. The last horse to win the Kentucky Derby from the No. 1 post position was Ferdinand in 1986.
Kentucky Derby Field, Odds, Post Positions, Trainers, Jockeys
Here is the 20-horse field for the 2026 Kentucky Derby:
| Post Position | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Odds |
| 1 | Renegade | Todd Pletcher | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 4-1 |
| 2 | Albus | Riley Mott | Manny Franco | 30-1 |
| 3 | Intrepido | Jeff Mullins | Hector Barrios | 50-1 |
| 4 | Litmus Test | Bob Baffert | Martin Garcia | 30-1 |
| 5 | Right to Party | Kenny McPeek | Chris Elliott | 30-1 |
| 6 | Commandment | Brad Cox | Luis Saez | 6-1 |
| 7 | Danon Bourbon | Manabu Ikezoe | Atsuya Nishimura | 20-1 |
| 8 | So Happy | Mark Glatt | Mike Smith | 15-1 |
| 9 | The Puma | Gustavo Delgado | Javier Castellano | 10-1 |
| 10 | Wonder Dean | Daisuke Takayanagi | Ryusei Sakai | 30-1 |
| 11 | Incredibolt | Riley Mott | Jaime Torres | 20-1 |
| 12 | Chief Wallabee | Bill Mott | Junior Alvarado | 8-1 |
| 13 | Silent Tactic | Mark Casse | Cristian Torres | 20-1 |
| 14 | Potente | Bob Baffert | Juan Hernandez | 20-1 |
| 15 | Emerging Market | Chad Brown | Flavien Prat | 15-1 |
| 16 | Pavlovian | Doug O’Neill | Edwin Maldonado | 30-1 |
| 17 | Six Speed | Bhupat Seemar | Brian Hernandez Jr. | 50-1 |
| 18 | Further Ado | Brad Cox | John Velazquez | 6-1 |
| 19 | Golden Tempo | Cherie DeVaux | Jose Ortiz | 30-1 |
| 20 | Fulleffort | Brad Cox | Tyler Gaffalione | 20-1 |
Four horses are also eligible if others are scratched leading up to Saturday’s race. Great White, Ocelli, Robusta, and Corona de Oro are all priced at 50-1.
Top Contenders to Win Kentucky Derby
The field in this year’s “Run for the Roses” is headlined by Renegade, who is a worthy betting favorite.
Renegade (4-1)
Renegade enters the Kentucky Derby coming off a March 28 win in the Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., who was along for the ride, is seeking his first Kentucky Derby win.
It’s been 40 years since a horse won from the rail, but the No. 1 post has produced eight Kentucky Derby winners. Owner Mike Repole isn’t sweating his starting position.
Commandment (6-1)
Commandment has won four of his five career starts, doing most of his damage at Gulfstream Park. That was the site of his last win on March 28 in the Florida Derby.
As one of three horses in the field for Louisville native Brad Cox, Commandment is expected to be challenged by stablemate Further Ado.
Further Ado (6-1)
Further Ado turned in a sharp workout on Saturday at Churchill Downs, and he’ll benefit from having Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez in the irons.
Expect Further Ado to settle in just behind the leaders, setting up a hard-charging move on the final turn. Only three horses have won from the No. 18 post, but Velazquez, a three-time Derby winner, could pilot Further Ado to first at the finish on Saturday.
Best Kentucky Derby Sleeper Pick
Looking for slightly better odds? Here’s a horse that fits the bill.
Chief Wallabee (8-1)
Trainer Bill Mott won last year’s Derby with Sovereignty, and he has another good shot with Chief Wallabee.
The lightly raced colt responded well to blinkers in a recent workout at Churchill Downs, breezing five furlongs in a minute flat.
“I thought it was very good, he finished really well and galloped out strong,” Mott said. “He’s an inexperienced horse, and we put the blinkers on to help him focus. I feel good about our horse. He’s very talented.”
Best Kentucky Derby Longshot
You can make a case for this longshot on Saturday.
Danon Bourbon (20-1)
A Japanese horse has never won the Kentucky Derby, but Forever Young nearly turned the trick in 2024. He ended up finishing third in a three-way photo finish that saw Mystik Dan get the victory.
Danon Bourbon could get that milestone win for Japan on Saturday. Danon Bourbon is undefeated after three career starts, with all of them coming in Japan. Check out his strong closing kick in the latest win on March 28 in the Fukuryu Stakes.
One question mark comes in the fact that Danon Bourbon has never raced at the 1-1/4 mile distance of the Kentucky Derby. His victories, by a combined 18.5 lengths, have come at 1-1/8 miles and 1-3/16 miles.
Recent Kentucky Derby Winners & Payouts
Here are the last 10 winners of the Kentucky Derby and their payouts on a $2 win bet:
- 2025 Sovereignty ($17.96)
- 2024 Mystik Dan ($39.22)
- 2023 Mage ($32.42)
- 2022 Rich Strike ($163.90)
- 2021 Medina Spirit ($26.30)
- 2020 Authentic ($18.80)
- 2019 Country House ($132.40)
- 2018 Justify ($7.80)
- 2017 Always Dreaming ($11.40)
- 2016 Nyquist ($6.60)
Rich Strike scored at 80-1 odds in 2022. Only Donerail (91-1) won the Kentucky Derby at longer odds. That came back in 1913.
