A total of $5 million is on the line for the owners, trainers and jockeys, but more than $234.4 million was wagered on last year’s race. Expect that number to be even bigger in 2026 on what should be a cloudy-but-dry track, as opposed to last year’s questionable weather at Churchill Downs.
The favorite is Renegade, trained by two-time Derby winner Todd Pletcher (2010 Super Saver, 2017 Always Dreaming) with Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard from the rail. The sire of Into Mischief and Spice Is Nice was 0-3 from the chute as a two-year-old, but is undefeated in two starts during 2026. The wins came at the Sam F. Davis Stakes in Tampa, and the Grade I Arkansas Derby where he posted a flashy 107 speed figure in his four-length victory.
Churchill Downs new oddsmaker Nick Tammaro, who replaced the legendary Mike Battaglia earlier this year, has Renegade as the projected 4-1 chalk.
The second choice is Commandment, with Luis Saez aboard the Brad Cox trainee. Another son of Into Mischief, Commandment broke his maiden at Churchill Downs last November 1 in a special weight race. Since then he’s undefeated, winning three stakes races all at Gulfstream Park in South Florida. He took the Florida Derby by a nose over fellow Derby entrant The Puma, paying 5.80 for the win, and is 6-1 on the morning line.
Here are the opening odds, followed by the latest track odds, from Churchill Downs ahead of the 2026 Kentucky Derby.
A total of $5 million is on the line for the owners, trainers and jockeys, but more than $234.4 million was wagered on last year’s race. Expect that number to be even bigger in 2026 on what should be a cloudy-but-dry track, as opposed to last year’s questionable weather at Churchill Downs.
The favorite is Renegade, trained by two-time Derby winner Todd Pletcher (2010 Super Saver, 2017 Always Dreaming) with Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard from the rail. The sire of Into Mischief and Spice Is Nice was 0-3 from the chute as a two-year-old, but is undefeated in two starts during 2026. The wins came at the Sam F. Davis Stakes in Tampa, and the Grade I Arkansas Derby where he posted a flashy 107 speed figure in his four-length victory.
Churchill Downs new oddsmaker Nick Tammaro, who replaced the legendary Mike Battaglia earlier this year, has Renegade as the projected 4-1 chalk.
The second choice is Commandment, with Luis Saez aboard the Brad Cox trainee. Another son of Into Mischief, Commandment broke his maiden at Churchill Downs last November 1 in a special weight race. Since then he’s undefeated, winning three stakes races all at Gulfstream Park in South Florida. He took the Florida Derby by a nose over fellow Derby entrant The Puma, paying 5.80 for the win, and is 6-1 on the morning line.
Here are the opening odds, followed by the latest track odds, from Churchill Downs ahead of the 2026 Kentucky Derby.
Updated: May 1, 11:35 p.m.
#Latest #odds #Kentucky #Derby">Latest odds for 2026 Kentucky Derby
The 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby is scheduled for 6:57pm on Saturday from Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, as 20 of the best three-year old horses in the world compete in the Run for the Roses.
A total of $5 million is on the line for the owners, trainers and jockeys, but more than $234.4 million was wagered on last year’s race. Expect that number to be even bigger in 2026 on what should be a cloudy-but-dry track, as opposed to last year’s questionable weather at Churchill Downs.
The favorite is Renegade, trained by two-time Derby winner Todd Pletcher (2010 Super Saver, 2017 Always Dreaming) with Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard from the rail. The sire of Into Mischief and Spice Is Nice was 0-3 from the chute as a two-year-old, but is undefeated in two starts during 2026. The wins came at the Sam F. Davis Stakes in Tampa, and the Grade I Arkansas Derby where he posted a flashy 107 speed figure in his four-length victory.
Churchill Downs new oddsmaker Nick Tammaro, who replaced the legendary Mike Battaglia earlier this year, has Renegade as the projected 4-1 chalk.
The second choice is Commandment, with Luis Saez aboard the Brad Cox trainee. Another son of Into Mischief, Commandment broke his maiden at Churchill Downs last November 1 in a special weight race. Since then he’s undefeated, winning three stakes races all at Gulfstream Park in South Florida. He took the Florida Derby by a nose over fellow Derby entrant The Puma, paying 5.80 for the win, and is 6-1 on the morning line.
Here are the opening odds, followed by the latest track odds, from Churchill Downs ahead of the 2026 Kentucky Derby.
Updated: May 1, 11:35 p.m.
#Latest #odds #Kentucky #Derby
The 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby is scheduled for 6:57pm on Saturday from Churchill…
As you can see in the above table, Renegade enters the 2026 Kentucky Derby as the favorite, but the Todd A. Pletcher-trained horse drew the inside #1 post, which could pose a problem on Saturday. The last horse to win from “the rail” was Ferdinand, which happened before many of you were alive back in 1986. Historically, just 8.3% of Kentucky Derby winners started in the #1 post.
Commandment enters the 2026 Kentucky Derby on an incredible winning streak, as the 3-year-old colt has won four straight races. That includes the Florida Derby, an event that has produced 26 Kentucky Derby winners. In that race, Commandment “averaged a 22.92-foot stride length and ran the final furlong in just 12.32 seconds, 0.36 seconds faster than any other horse in the field.”
Further Ado is another horse to watch in this field. The horse, also trained by Brad H. Cox, Commandment’s trainer, secured a 20-length win at Keeneland last October, for its maiden victory. Add in Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, and you could have a winning recipe.
As of Friday morning three horses — Right to Party, Silent Tactic, and Fulleffort — have been scratched from the field.
Anything else I should know?
If you are hosting a Derby Party you will need a few things. First, the perfect mint julep. Assuming you can find good mint, Alton Brown’s recipe and technique is a good recipe to follow. The Kentucky Derby also has a recipe you can follow.
Second, you’ll need the right menu. The Kentucky Derby has shared the “Derby At Home” menu which includes chicken salad sandwiches, char-grilled short ribs with pomegranate and fennel, honey bourbon grilled chicken, brown sugar glazed carrots, and more.
As you can see in the above table, Renegade enters the 2026 Kentucky Derby as the favorite, but the Todd A. Pletcher-trained horse drew the inside #1 post, which could pose a problem on Saturday. The last horse to win from “the rail” was Ferdinand, which happened before many of you were alive back in 1986. Historically, just 8.3% of Kentucky Derby winners started in the #1 post.
Commandment enters the 2026 Kentucky Derby on an incredible winning streak, as the 3-year-old colt has won four straight races. That includes the Florida Derby, an event that has produced 26 Kentucky Derby winners. In that race, Commandment “averaged a 22.92-foot stride length and ran the final furlong in just 12.32 seconds, 0.36 seconds faster than any other horse in the field.”
Further Ado is another horse to watch in this field. The horse, also trained by Brad H. Cox, Commandment’s trainer, secured a 20-length win at Keeneland last October, for its maiden victory. Add in Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, and you could have a winning recipe.
As of Friday morning three horses — Right to Party, Silent Tactic, and Fulleffort — have been scratched from the field.
Anything else I should know?
If you are hosting a Derby Party you will need a few things. First, the perfect mint julep. Assuming you can find good mint, Alton Brown’s recipe and technique is a good recipe to follow. The Kentucky Derby also has a recipe you can follow.
Second, you’ll need the right menu. The Kentucky Derby has shared the “Derby At Home” menu which includes chicken salad sandwiches, char-grilled short ribs with pomegranate and fennel, honey bourbon grilled chicken, brown sugar glazed carrots, and more.
#Kentucky #Derby #Odds #post #positions #schedule">Kentucky Derby 2026: Odds, post positions, TV schedule, and more
This weekend brings the first Saturday in May.
Which means it is time for one of the biggest events on the annual sports calendar: the Kentucky Derby.
This year’s field includes a horse on a commanding winning streak, and a favorite that will start in a rather unfavorable position following the post draw.
Here is how, and what, to watch for in the 2026 Kentucky Derby.
How to watch the 2026 Kentucky Derby
Race day begins at 12:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 2nd on the NBC family of networks, however, there are numerous races ahead of the main event.
Starting at 12:00 p.m. ET, the event will be on NBCSN and Peacock until 2:30 p.m. ET. Then, at 2:30 p.m. ET, the Derby will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock until 7:30 p.m.
You can also stream everything through Peacock starting at 12:00 p.m. ET on Saturday.
What are the odds for the race?
These will change as we approach race time, but here are the current odds for the 2026 Kentucky Derby, as available from Churchill Downs, arranged by the post draw:
Post
Horse
Jockey
Trainer
Odds
Status
1
Renegade
Irad Ortiz Jr.
Todd A. Pletcher
4-1
In the field
2
Albus
Manuel Franco
Riley Mott
30-1
In the field
3
Intrepido
Hector I. Berrios
Jeff Mullins
50-1
In the field
4
Litmus Test
Martin Garcia
Bob Baffert
30-1
In the field
5
Right to Party
Christopher Elliott
Kenneth G. Mcpeek
26-1
Scratched
6
Commandment
Luis Saez
Brad H. Cox
7-1
In the field
7
Danon Bourbon
Atsuya Nishimura
Manabu Ikezoe
14-1
In the field
8
So Happy
Mike E. Smith
Mark Glatt
6-1
In the field
9
The Puma
Javier Castellano
Gustavo Delgado
8-1
In the field
10
Wonder Dean
Ryusei Sakai
Daisuke Takayanagi
20-1
In the field
11
Incredibolt
Jaime A. Torres
Riley Mott
27-1
In the field
12
Chief Wallabee
Junior Alvarado
William I. Mott
9-1
In the field
13
Silent Tactic
Christian A. Torres
Mark E. Casse
38-1
Scratched
14
Potente
Juan J. Hernandez
Bob Baffert
23-1
In the field
15
Emerging Market
Flavlen Prat
Chad C. Brown
11-1
In the field
16
Pavlovian
Edwin A. Maldonado
Doug F. O’Neill
52-1
In the field
17
Six Speed
Brian J. Hernandez, Jr.
Bhupat Seemar
40-1
In the field
18
Further Ado
John R. Velazquez
Brad H. Cox
7-1
In the field
19
Golden Tempo
Jose L. Ortiz
Cherie Devaux
36-1
In the field
20
Fulleffort
Tyler Gaffalione
Brad H. Cox
19-1
Scratched
21
Great White
Alex Achard
John Ennis
29-1
In the field
22
Ocelli
Joseph D. Ramos
D. Whitworth Beckman
50-1
In the field
23
Robusta
Emisael Jaramillo
Doug F. O’Neill
50-1
In the field
Who to watch in the Kentucky Derby
As you can see in the above table, Renegade enters the 2026 Kentucky Derby as the favorite, but the Todd A. Pletcher-trained horse drew the inside #1 post, which could pose a problem on Saturday. The last horse to win from “the rail” was Ferdinand, which happened before many of you were alive back in 1986. Historically, just 8.3% of Kentucky Derby winners started in the #1 post.
Commandment enters the 2026 Kentucky Derby on an incredible winning streak, as the 3-year-old colt has won four straight races. That includes the Florida Derby, an event that has produced 26 Kentucky Derby winners. In that race, Commandment “averaged a 22.92-foot stride length and ran the final furlong in just 12.32 seconds, 0.36 seconds faster than any other horse in the field.”
Further Ado is another horse to watch in this field. The horse, also trained by Brad H. Cox, Commandment’s trainer, secured a 20-length win at Keeneland last October, for its maiden victory. Add in Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, and you could have a winning recipe.
As of Friday morning three horses — Right to Party, Silent Tactic, and Fulleffort — have been scratched from the field.
Anything else I should know?
If you are hosting a Derby Party you will need a few things. First, the perfect mint julep. Assuming you can find good mint, Alton Brown’s recipe and technique is a good recipe to follow. The Kentucky Derby also has a recipe you can follow.
Second, you’ll need the right menu. The Kentucky Derby has shared the “Derby At Home” menu which includes chicken salad sandwiches, char-grilled short ribs with pomegranate and fennel, honey bourbon grilled chicken, brown sugar glazed carrots, and more.
#Kentucky #Derby #Odds #post #positions #schedule
This weekend brings the first Saturday in May.Which means it is time for one of…
