The 2026 Kentucky Derby is wide open with no clear lock. Nearly half the field sits within easy striking distance of the top contenders as the big race draws closer to its Saturday, May 2 showdown at Churchill Downs, which has a 6:57 p.m. ET post time. Following Saturday’s post draw, Renegade, who drew the inside rail, sits atop the 2026 Kentucky Derby odds board as the 4-1 morning-line favorite, but several strong challengers are close behind.
Further Ado is 6-1 and Commandment are 6-1, with Chief Wallabee at 8-1 and The Puma at 10-1. Other 2026 Kentucky Derby contenders include So Happy and Emerging Market, both at 15-1. There are five other horses at 20-1, including Southwest Stakes winner Silent Tactic. Before making any 2026 Kentucky Derby picks, be sure to see the 2026 Kentucky Derby predictions from SportsLine’s elite horse racing expert Jody Demling.
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A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling has nailed the Kentucky Oaks-Derby double 12 times in the last 17 years. He also predicted the top three 2025 Kentucky Derby finishers in the correct order and called the exacta in last year’s Preakness. Anyone who has followed him on horse racing betting sites could be way up.
Now, with the 2026 Kentucky Derby approaching and horse racing futures odds on the board, Demling is sharing his 2026 Kentucky Derby betting picks and 2026 Kentucky Derby predictions over at SportsLine. Go here to see them.
Top 2026 Kentucky Derby predictions, expert analysis
One of Demling’s surprising 2026 Kentucky Derby picks: He doesn’t have Commandment, one of the favorites at 6-1, on top of the board. In fact, there are several other horses he believes come out above the Brad Cox-trained challenger.
Since taking fourth in his debut last October, Commandment has won four straight races, including the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth over Chief Wallabee, and the Grade 1 Florida Derby over The Puma and Chief Wallabee. However, both races came down to the wire as Commandment is not the horse that catches Demling’s eye. It certainly doesn’t help that the horse drew the No. 6 post, which has the second-lowest win rate of any of the 20 post positions at Churchill Downs. See who to back at SportsLine.
Demling also locked in his 2026 Kentucky Derby prediction for Renegade, who at 4-1 is trying to become the first favorite to win the Kentucky Derby since 2018. While he’s not high on all the contenders, he does believe Renegade deserves serious consideration to be part of all exotics bets, including Kentucky Derby exactas and trifectas.
Renegade took second or third in his first three races. But he’s getting hot at the right time, including a win at the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on March 28. His best competition at that run was Silent Tactic, a 20-1 longshot at the 2026 Kentucky Derby. So while there is no slam dunk at Churchill Downs on May 2, Renegade is a rightfully one of the top contenders. Bet the Kentucky Derby with the latest TwinSpires promo code CBSSPORTS to claim up to $400 in bonus bets:
Demling has also locked in his 2026 Kentucky Derby picks for Further Ado (6-1), who won at Churchill Downs late in his 2-year-old season. Following his fifth-place finish in his initial dirt-fast MSW race, he has not finished lower than third, that coming in August. Since October, Further Ado has registered three wins and one second-place finish. He is coming off a first-place finish at the 2026 Blue Grass at Keeneland earlier this month.
He had placed second behind The Puma, who enters the Derby at 10-1, at the March 7 Tampa Bay Derby. Further Ado is trained by Brad H. Cox, who has one Kentucky Derby winner in his career. That came in 2021 when Mandaloun was elevated to the victory after Medina Spirit was disqualified for testing positive for a banned substance. See which other horses to back at SportsLine, and you can make 2026 Kentucky Derby bets at TwinSpires here with the offer code CBSSPORTS:
How to make 2026 Kentucky Derby picks, bets
Demling is also high on a longshot who “demolished the field” in his last start. Anyone who backs this colt could hit it big. Demling is sharing which horse it is, along with his entire projected 2026 Kentucky Derby leaderboard, over at SportsLine.
Which horse wins the Kentucky Derby 2026, and which longshot is a must-back? Check out the latest 2026 Kentucky Derby odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Demling’s picks for the Kentucky Derby, all from the expert who has nailed 12 Derby-Oaks doubles.
