The 2026 Kentucky Derby draws a full field of 20 horses Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, as the opening race of the Triple Crown for 3-year-olds. The last Triple Crown sweep was Justify in 2018. Saturday’s Derby is the 12th race on the card with an approximate post time of 6:57 p.m. ET.
Morning-line favorite and field
Oddsmaker Nick Tammaro listed Renegade as the morning-line favorite at 4-1. Two scratches since the post-position draw (Fulleffort and Silent Tactic) allowed two horses to enter the lineup. Below are the horses in (post) order with morning-line odds:
1. Renegade, 4-1
2. Albus, 30-1
3. Intrepido, 50-1
4. Litmus Test, 30-1
5. Right to Party, 30-1
6. Commandment, 6-1
7. Danon Bourbon, 20-1
8. So Happy, 15-1
9. The Puma, 10-1
10. Wonder Dean, 30-1
11. Incredibolt, 20-1
12. Chief Wallabee, 8-1
14. Potente, 20-1
15. Emerging Market, 15-1
16. Pavlovian, 30-1
17. Six Speed, 50-1
18. Further Ado, 6-1
19. Golden Tempo, 30-1
21. Great White, 50-1
22. Ocelli, 50-1
Renegade drew the No. 1 post — the rail position that can risk a horse getting boxed in early. No Derby winner has come from the 1 post since Ferdinand in 1986; the last top-three finish from that post was Lookin At Lee (second) in 2017. Renegade, a bay colt, qualified on points after winning the Arkansas Derby and the Sam F. Davis Stakes and finishing second in the Remsen Stakes. Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Renegade; this will be Ortiz’s 10th Derby start (he has not yet finished in the money in the Derby) and he has two Belmont wins.
Contenders to watch
– Commandment (6-1) won the Florida Derby and the Fountain of Youth; Luis Saez will ride in his 13th Derby.
– Further Ado (6-1) captured the Blue Grass Stakes and the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes; John Velazquez will ride, seeking a fourth Derby victory.
– Chief Wallabee (8-1) is trained by Bill Mott with Junior Alvarado up; Mott trained last year’s Sovereignty, which also won the Belmont. Alvarado was fined and suspended after the Sovereignty Derby win for excessive use of the crop; the penalty was later reduced on appeal.
– The Puma (10-1) teams Javier Castellano with trainer Gustavo Delgado; Castellano rode the 2023 Belmont winner Arcangelo and has multiple Preakness wins.
– So Happy (15-1) won the Santa Anita Derby; Mike Smith — who has the most Derby mounts in history (28) — will ride. Smith also rode Justify in his 2018 Triple Crown run and won the Derby aboard Giacomo in 2005.
– Emerging Market (15-1) won the Louisiana Derby; Flavien Prat picks up the mount and was aboard Country House for his 2019 Derby win after a disqualification.
Other notable entries and connections
– Potente (20-1) and Litmus Test (30-1) are both trained by Bob Baffert, who is tied for the all-time Derby wins lead with six and seeks a record-breaking seventh.
– Danon Bourbon and Incredibolt were listed at 20-1.
– Several horses were given 30-1 in the morning line, including Albus, Litmus Test, Right to Party, Wonder Dean, Pavlovian and Golden Tempo.
– Four horses were listed at 50-1: Intrepido, Six Speed, Great White and Ocelli. Great White and Ocelli were added after two scratches.
– Emerging Market’s Louisiana Derby win included Pavlovian and Golden Tempo in second and third, respectively. The Puma finished third in the Sam F. Davis, where Renegade won.
How they qualified
All entrants earned their Derby berths through the points system accrued in qualifying races dating back to last September. Key preps this spring that shaped the field included the Arkansas Derby, Florida Derby, Santa Anita Derby, Blue Grass Stakes and Louisiana Derby.
Jockey and trainer notes
– Irad Ortiz Jr. (Renegade) is a multiple-Grand-stand jockey with strong graded-stakes experience but is still seeking his first Derby in-the-money finish; he has two Belmont wins.
– Luis Saez (Commandment) has finished in the Derby top four and has two Belmont victories (Essential Quality in 2021, Dornoch in 2024).
– John Velazquez (Further Ado) seeks a fourth Derby victory; his most recent was Authentic in 2020. He also has multiple Triple Crown wins across the series.
– Mike Smith (So Happy) brings experience from Justify’s Triple Crown sweep and leads active riders in Derby mounts.
– Bill Mott (Chief Wallabee) has trained multiple classic winners, including Country House (via disqualification) and Drosselmeyer; Junior Alvarado was his Sovereignty rider last year.
Race notes and context
The Kentucky Derby is 1 1/4 miles on dirt and is the first leg of the Triple Crown, followed by the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. Morning-line odds will shift as bettors place wagers leading up to post time. Historical quirks include the difficulty of winning from certain post positions and how prep race form often predicts late movement in Derby betting.
This field represents a mix of established classic winners, major prep victors and late additions. Saturday’s race will decide who moves on toward the Preakness and a possible Triple Crown bid.