Kentucky Derby 2026: Betting Guide, Odds, Picks & Promotions for Churchill Downs

How to bet on the Kentucky Derby 2026: Betting guide, odds, picks, tips, promos, offers for Churchill Downs

Our Kentucky Derby betting guide tells you where to bet on the Kentucky Derby, gives odds, picks, tips, promo offers and more

By Ryan Wooden

, Brandt Sutton

& Blake Von Hagen

May 2, 2026 at 10:27 am ET • 37 min read

- - -

Kentucky Derby betting is already underway for the 152nd Derby on Saturday at Churchill Downs. A full field of 20 Kentucky Derby horses will run, with Arkansas Derby winner Renegade the 4-1 morning line favorite in Kentucky Derby odds. Betting on the Kentucky Derby online requires an online racebook account. This comprehensive 2026 Kentucky Derby betting guide provides all the information you will need to place smarter Kentucky Derby bets.  Claim the latest TwinSpires promo code CBSSPORTS to get up to $400 signup bonus now :

If you're wondering how to bet on the Kentucky Derby or where to bet on the Kentucky Derby, our 2026 Kentucky Derby betting guide shows you the best Kentucky Derby promo codes , including the FanDuel Racing promo code , TwinSpires offer code ,  1/ST BET promo code , and DK Horse promo code . You can use these sign-up bonuses to significantly boost your bankroll and we'll also offer an intro to horse racing wagering that gives you everything you need to know before you begin Kentucky Derby betting. Bet the Kentucky Derby at FanDuel Racing, where new users get a $25 racing bonus with a $5 bet :

2026 Kentucky Derby odds

Here is the field for the 152nd Kentucky Derby. A maximum of 20 horses will run.  Click on the odds to wager now.

Number Horse Morning Line Odds Last Race 1 Renegade 5-1 1st in Arkansas Derby 2 Albus 30-1 1st in Wood Memorial 3 Intrepido 50-1 4th in Santa Anita Derby 4 Litmus Test 30-1 7th in Arkansas Derby 5 Right to Party Scratched 2nd in Wood Memorial 6 Commandment 6-1 1st in Florida Derby 7 Danon Bourbon 20-1 1st in Fukuryu Steaks 8 So Happy 15-1 1st in Santa Anita Derby 9 The Puma Scratched 2nd in Florida Derby 10 Wonder Dean (JPN) 30-1 1st in UAE Derby 11 Incredibolt 20-1 1st in Virginia Derby 12 Chief Wallabee 8-1 3rd in Florida Derby 13 Silent Tactic Scratched 2nd Rebel Stakes 14 Potente 20-1 2nd in Santa Anita 15 Emerging Market 15-1 1st in Louisiana Derby 16 Pavlovian 30-1 2nd in Louisiana Derby 17 Six Speed 50-1 2nd in UAE Derby 18 Further Ado 6-1 1st in Blue Grass Stakes 19 Golden Tempo 30-1 3rd in Louisiana Derby 20 Fulleffort Scratched 1st in Jeff Ruby Steaks 21 Great White 50-1 5th in Blue Grass Stakes 22 Ocelli 50-1 3rd in Wood Memorial 23 Robusta 50-1 7th in Santa Anita Derby 24 Corona de Oro Scratched 3rd in Lexington Stakes

Kentucky Derby betting: No. 1 Renegade

Post Position

1

Horse

Renegade

Morning Line Odds

4-1

Road to the Kentucky Derby Points

125

Trainer

Todd Pletcher

Jockey

Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Owner

Robert & Lawana Low and Repole Stable

Record

1st: 2, 2nd: 2, 3rd: 1 (five career races)

Sire

Into Mischief

Recent Workout Time

4/23: four furlongs in 50.94s

Renegade only has two wins in five races, but saved his trips to the winner's circle for when it mattered most, in his two most recent prep races. He may not have won as a two-year-old, but wins in the Sam F. Davis Stakes on February 7 in Tampa Bay and the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn on March 28 secured his status as a prime Kentucky Derby contender.

In the Arkansas Derby, Renegade rallied from seven lengths behind on the back stretch, passing every horse in the field to win despite having to go wider than the rest on the final turn, ultimately winning by multiple lengths. If Further Ado had the largest margin of victory in a final Derby prep race, Renegade arguably had the next most visually stunning effort.

Kentucky Derby betting: No. 2 Albus

Post Position

2

Horse

Albus

Morning Line Odds

30-1

Road to the Kentucky Derby Points

100

Trainer

Riley Mott

Jockey

Manny Franco

Owner

Pin Oak Stud

Past Performances

1st: 2, 2nd: 0, 3rd: 1 (four career races)

Sire

Yaupon

Recent Workout Time

4/26: four furlongs in 49.0s

Albus had only run in three Maiden races before stepping way up in class to the Grade I Wood Memorial on April 4. Then, he went and won it, along with the 100 points needed to get into the Kentucky Derby field.

The question is whether Albus is for real or was the beneficiary of a pace meltdown in the wood. The leader set hot early fractions and the early speed broke down, allowing closers like Albus to cross the finish line first. That might be tougher in the Derby with 19 other horses in the race and potential traffic trouble. But we have seen late-developing horses hit the board in past Derbies, too.

Kentucky Derby betting: No. 3 Intrepido

Post Position

3

Horse

Intrepido

Morning Line Odds

50-1

Road to the Kentucky Derby Points

38

Trainer

Jeff Mullins

Jockey

Hector Berrios

Owner

Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures

Past Performances

1st: 2, 2nd: 1, 3rd: 0 (six career races)

Sire

Maximus Mischief

Recent Workout Time

4/26: four furlongs in 45.0s

Intrepido's connections secured a spot in the Kentucky Derby via earlier Road to the Kentucky Derby prep races, along with other horses with more points dropping out of the race. As a two-year-old, he did win the Grade I American Pharoah before finishing fifth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

His three-year-old campaign is less impressive than the favorites in this race. Intrepido finished second in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes before finishing fourth in the Santa Anita Derby in his final prep race.

Kentucky Derby betting: No. 4 Litmus Test

Post Position

4

Horse

Litmus Test

Odds

30-1

Road to the Kentucky Derby Points

34

Trainer

Bob Baffert

Jockey

Martin Garcia

Owner

Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, SF Racing, Stonestreet Stables, Bashor Racing, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital and Catherine Donovan

Past Performances

1st: 2, 2nd: 0, 3rd: 2 (seven career races)

Sire

Nyquist

Recent Workout Time

4/23: five furlongs in 59.36s

The legendary trainer Bob Baffert will need to pull a huge upset to capture his seventh Kentucky Derby win. Litmus Test was the last guaranteed starter into the Derby after several horses with more points were taken off the Derby trail two weeks before the race.

Litmust Test race five times as a two-year-old, winning on debut at five-and-a-half furlongs in August. He then raced in three Grade I stakes races for juveniles, finishing fourth in the Del Mar Futurity, third in the Breeders' Futurity and fourth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. He closed out his two-year-old campaign stepping down in class slightly to capture the Grade II Los Alamitos Futurity.

As a three-year-old, a third place in the Rebel Stakes preceded a very disappointing seventh place in his final prep, the Arkansas Derby. Litmus Test will wear blinkers in the Kentucky Derby.

Kentucky Derby betting: No. 6 Commandment

Post Position

6

Horse

Commandment

Odds

6-1

Road to the Kentucky Derby Points

150

Trainer

Brad Cox

Jockey

Luis Saez

Owner

Wathnan Racing

Past Performances

1st: 4, 2nd: 0, 3rd: 0 (five career races)

Sire

Into Mischief

Recent Workout Time

4/25: five furlongs in 1:01.4s

Commandment has run in five career races, including two as a two-year-old, having won all but his first career race. In his debut, he finished fourth in a six-furlong Maiden Special Weight race at Keeneland on October 4. From there, he shipped to Churchill Downs and broke his maiden at seven furlongs on December 1.

Commandment began his three-year-old campaign on January 3 at Gulfstream Park in South Florida, winning the one-mile Mucho Macho Man Stakes. His Kentucky Derby hopes continued to grow with another win in the Grade II Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream on February 28.

One month later, Commandment rallied from the back of the pack despite slow early fractions and getting caught wide on the far turn to win the Grade I Florida Derby, edging past The Puma in a photo finish on March 28. He will certainly be one of the favorites in the 2026 Kentucky Derby come post time.

Kentucky Derby betting: No. 7 Danon Bourbon

Post Position

7

Horse

Danon Bourbon

Odds

20-1

Road to the Kentucky Derby Points

Japan Road to Derby qualifier

Trainer

Manabu Ikezoe

Jockey

Atsuya Nishimura

Owner

Danox Co. Ltd.

Past Performances

1st: 3, 2nd: 0, 3rd: 0 (three career races)

Sire

Maxfield

Recent Workout Time

Only gallops at Churchill Downs

How good Danon Bourbon is, along with the quality of the competition he faced in three career races in Japan, is a bit of a mystery. Here's what we do know: he has not lost, and despite racing in Japan, is actually an American bred horse with a sire that never lost at Churchill Downs.

His final time for about 1 1/8 miles, 1:50.9, is easily the best in the Fukuryu Stakes for at least the past two decades, with data going back to 2003. The Fukuryu is the final and most important prep race on the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby circuit.

Kentucky Derby betting: No. 8 So Happy

Post Position

8

Horse

So Happy

Odds

15-1

Road to the Kentucky Derby Points

115

Trainer

Mark Glatt

Jockey

Mike Smith

Owner

Norman Stables and Saints or Sinners

Past Performances

1st: 3, 2nd: 0, 3rd: 1 (four career races)

Sire

Runhappy

Recent Workout Times

4/24: five furlongs in 1:00.38s

So Happy raced only once as a two-year-old but won on debut at Del Mar before running exclusively at Santa Anita as a three-year-old. A win in the Grade II San Vicente on January 10 followed, before a third-place setback in the Grade II San Felipe on March 7.

His connections were undeterred and entered him in the Grade I Santa Anita Derby on April 4, and he did not disappoint. So Happy stalked fast fractions set by Robusta and fellow-Derby entrant Potente and pulled away by almost three lengths in the final furlong to book a trip to the Run for the Roses.

Kentucky Derby betting: No. 10 Wonder Dean (JPN)

Post Position

10

Horse

Wonder Dean (JPN)

Odds

30-1

Road to the Kentucky Derby Points

Europe/Middle East Road to Derby qualifier

Trainer

Daisuke Takayanagi

Jockey

Ryusei Sakai

Owner

Yoshinari Yamamoto

Past Performances

1st: 2, 2nd: 2, 3rd: 0 (six career races)

Sire

Dee Majesty

Recent Workout Time

4/24: five furlongs in 1:02s

The only Japanese-bred horse in this year's Derby, Wonder Dean broke is Maiden in September at Nakayama in Japan, winning a nine-furlong race by eight lengths. As a three-year-old, he finished fourth in the Saudi Derby before shipping to Dubai for the UAE Derby in March.

Wonder Dean won the UAE Derby, but his finishing time of 1:59.19 was slower than that of past horses that have hit the board in big American stakes races. Breeders' Cup Classic winner Forever Young, who also lost in a photo finish in the Kentucky Derby, ran the UAE Derby in 1:57.89. Wonder Dean will have to overcome a finishing time in his final prep that has left other UAE Derby shipper off the board in the Run for the Roses.

Kentucky Derby betting: No. 11 Incredibolt

Post Position

11

Horse

Incredibolt

Odds

20-1

Road to the Kentucky Derby Points

60

Trainer

Riley Mott

Jockey

Jaime Torres

Owner

Pin Oak Stud

Past Performances

1st: 3, 2nd: 0, 3rd: 0 (five career races)

Sire

Bolt d'Oro

Recent Workout Time

4/26: four furlongs in 47.0s

Incredibolt's path to the Kentucky Derby has some handicappers concerned. The Virginia Derby was back on March 14, creating a large gap between races before the Kentucky Derby. The Virginia Derby is also a one-turn race, very different from the Derby's two-turn race for horses at Churchill Downs. That final prep in Virginia this year also featured a very slow early pace, potentially producing outlier final fractions.

Before that, Incredibolt finished sixth in the Grade III Holy Bull Stakes against likely tougher competition at Gulfstream Park. As a two-year-old,

_Originally reported by [CBS Sports](https://www.cbssports.com/general/news/how-to-bet-on-the-kentucky-derby-2026-betting-guide-odds-picks-tips-promos-offers-churchill-downs/)._