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.
