After months of training and preparation, it all comes down to Saturday as a massive field of qualified horses make the Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs. The 2026 Kentucky Derby will feature up to 20 horses, including proven stakes winners and rising stars, and there is no shortage of trainers looking to add to their legacies. Bob Baffert is looking for a record-breaking seventh Kentucky Derby victory after returning last year from a long suspension, and eight-time Trainer of the Year Todd Pletcher is trying to win The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports for a third time. Chad Brown is hoping to snap an 0-for-9 streak without a victory under the twin spires, while Brad Cox has two of the favorites as he tries to get his second Derby victory. His first came when Mandaloun won following Medina Spirit's disqualification in 2021.
Post time is set for 6:57 p.m. ET on May 2 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Renegade (4-1), Further Ado (6-1) and Commandment (6-1) are the favorites in the 2026 Kentucky Derby odds. Silent Tactic, who was 20-1 on the morning line, has been scratched and will be replaced by Great White (50-1). Before making any 2026 Kentucky Derby picks, you'll want to see what racing reporter and analyst Michelle Yu has to say before making any 2026 Kentucky Derby bets.
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In a wide-open Kentucky Derby in 2021, Yu gave out Medina Spirit, who crossed the finish line first, as the winner at 12-1. In Pool 5 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager three years ago, she suggested a play on All Other 3-Year-Olds, which cashed at a whopping 18-1 when Rich Strike won.
She started off 2025 by correctly going all-in on Citizen Bull to win the Robert B. Lewis Stakes, and she also predicted Forever Young's win in the Saudi Cup, Journalism's win in the San Felipe Stakes, Sandman's win in the Arkansas Derby and Mindframe's win in the Churchill Downs Stakes. She also hit the exacta in the Kentucky Derby. In August she hit the Fierceness-Journalism exacta in the Pacific Classic, and in March 2026 she nailed the Renegade-Silent Tactic-Taptastic trifecta in the Arkansas Derby. Anyone who has followed her on those picks on betting sites like FanDuel Racing, TwinSpires and 1/ST BET could be up huge.
Now, with the 2026 Kentucky Derby post positions set and odds on the board, Yu is sharing her 2026 Kentucky Derby betting picks and 2026 Kentucky Derby predictions over at SportsLine. You can head to SportsLine now to see them.
One surprise: Yu is completely fading Commandment (6-1), even though he won the Florida Derby and is one of the top favorites. The Cox-trained colt has lost some speed in recent races, and while Yu was impressed by the horse's run at Gulfstream Park, she isn't confident in him on the 1¼ mile run at Churchill Downs. "I don't like that his win margins have diminished as the races have gotten longer," Yu tells SportsLine. Cox is 1-12 in the Run for the Roses, winning his only Derby by disqualification when Medina Spirit failed post-race testing.
Jockey Luis Saez will be aboard Commandment for his 13th run at glory, and the Panamanian rider has yet to win the big one. He has won the Belmont Stakes twice but has never been in the top two in the Kentucky Derby, with his best official finish being third on Essential Quality in 2021, the same year the horse won the Belmont. Saez did cross the line first at the 2019 Kentucky Derby aboard Maximum Security but was disqualified for interference. See which other 2026 Kentucky Derby horses to avoid at SportsLine.
Another curveball: Yu is high on The Puma as a 10-1 longshot who drew the No. 9 post. The Puma won the Tampa Bay Derby on March 7 and finished second, just behind Commandment, at the Florida Derby three weeks later. He has finished in the top three in all four races he has entered. That's quite a resume for a horse that ran his first race in January.
"He did everything but win the Florida Derby when Commandment nosed him out, but he has been super consistent," Yu told SportsLine. She also says "his best races put him right in the mix" and notes that The Puma's connections have led to Derby success before. Jockey Javier Castellano knows how to manage Churchill Downs, as he won the Derby in 2023 aboard Mage, another horse trained by Delgado. He went on to win the Belmont Stakes that year with Arcangelo and has won the Preakness twice. He is making his 18th Run for the Roses. See which other horses to back at SportsLine, and you can make 2026 Kentucky Derby futures bets at FanDuel Racing here to get $25 in bonuses with a $5 wager:
Moreover, Yu's top pick is a horse who is "screaming for more ground." She also is high on a big double-digit longshot who will be the "forgotten horse." She is including this horse in her 2026 Kentucky Derby bets, and so should you. She's sharing which 2026 Kentucky Derby horses to back at SportsLine.
So who wins the 2026 Kentucky Derby? What double-digit longshot is a must-back, and how has Yu constructed her wagers? Visit SportsLine to see Yu's picks for the Kentucky Derby, all from the Santa Anita-based racing insider who has a long history of success in the Kentucky Derby, and find out.