Kentucky
Our top 5 Kentucky Derby contenders as Run for the Roses 2026 nears
Kentucky Derby contender Further Ado favored by trainer Brad Cox
After Further Ado won by 11 lengths, trainer Brad Cox talked about ‘dominating’ performance as three-year-old heads to the 2026 Kentucky Derby.
After the final weekend of major prep races, we have a projected field for the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby on May 2 at Churchill Downs.
Further Ado (Blue Grass), So Happy (Santa Anita Derby) and Albus (Wood Memorial) clinched their spots in the Kentucky Derby with victories on Saturday.
The top 20 horses on the Kentucky Derby points leaderboard are eligible to run, though there usually are injuries and defections in the weeks leading up to the race.
Buy tickets for Kentucky Derby 152 here
Saturday’s Grade 3 Lexington at Keeneland will offer 20 qualifying points to the winner, though that’s not expected to be enough for any of the competitors to jump into the Kentucky Derby field.
With four weeks to go until the Kentucky Derby, here’s our ranking of the top five contenders:
Owners: Robert and Lawana Low; Repole Stable (Mike Repole).
Trainer: Todd Pletcher.
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
Sire: Into Mischief.
Road to Kentucky Derby points: 125 (No. 3)
Career earnings: $1,031,500.
Last race: Won Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on March 28 at Oaklawn Park.
Likely next race: Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 2 at Churchill Downs.
Owner: Wathnan Racing (Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani).
Trainer: Brad Cox.
Jockey: Flavien Prat.
Sire: Into Mischief.
Road to Kentucky Derby points: 150 (No. 1).
Career earnings: $1,017,339.
Last race: Won Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 28 at Gulfstream Park.
Likely next race: Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 2 at Churchill Downs.
Owners: OGMA Investments LLC (Gustavo Delgado); JR Ranch (Ramiro Restrepo); High Step Racing LLC (Randy Guy, Joe Noble, Kevin Avera, Jim Ferreira, Todd Perry).
Trainer: Gustavo Delgado.
Jockey: Javier Castellano.
Sire: Essential Quality.
Road to Kentucky Derby points: 106 (No. 6).
Career earnings: $442,280.
Last race: Second in Grade 1 Florida Derby on March 28 at Gulfstream Park.
Likely next race: Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 2 at Churchill Downs.
Owner: Spendthrift Farm (Eric Gustavson).
Trainer: Brad Cox.
Jockey: TBA.
Sire: Gun Runner.
Road to Kentucky Derby points: 135 (No. 2).
Career earnings: $1,146,328.
Last race: Won Grade 1 Blue Grass on April 4 at Keeneland.
Likely next race: Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 2 at Churchill Downs.
Owner: Danox Co. Ltd.
Trainer: Manabu Ikezoe.
Jockey: Atsuya Nishimura.
Sire: Maxfield.
Road to Kentucky Derby points: Qualified via Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby.
Career earnings: $222,762.
Last race: Won Fukuryu Stakes on March 28 at Nakayama Racecourse.
Likely next race: Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 2 at Churchill Downs.
Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com. Follow on X @KentuckyDerbyCJ.
SCOTTSVILLE, Ky. (WZTV) — A 26-year-old man died early Sunday after a motorcycle crash in Allen County.
Investigators say Remington James Matlock, of Scottsville, was riding a 2017 Harley-Davidson north on Macedonia Road just after 1 a.m. when he drove off the road and hit a fence post.
Matlock was pronounced dead at the scene.
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The crash remains under investigation.
Trainer Kenny McPeek wants Right To Party with Beastie Boys at 2026 Kentucky Derby
Trainer Kenny McPeek says he would love to have the Beastie Boys at 2026 Kentucky Derby to walk with Right To Party
The post positions are set for the 2026 Kentucky Derby and the draw presented this year’s favorite another obstacle to overcome. Renegade, the horse who will enter the 152nd Run for the Roses with the best odds to win, will start from the No. 1 post along the rail, a spot no horse has won the Kentucky Derby from since Ferdinand in 1986.
The curveball only adds to the wide-open feeling entering the first Triple Crown race of 2026 at Churchill Downs, with some experts believing as many as eight of the 20 horses in the field have a legitimate shot at winning the Kentucky Derby this year. The picks and predictions have varied accordingly during the lead-up to Derby week, though Renegade remains the pre-race favorite following the post position draw.
Here’s a breakdown of the latest odds, picks and predictions ahead of the 2026 Kentucky Derby, as well as how to watch the opening Triple Crown race of the year:
When is the 2026 Kentucky Derby?
The 2026 Kentucky Derby is set to be held on Saturday, May 2 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. ET and post time is scheduled for 6:57 p.m. ET.
Kentucky Derby 2026 odds
Odds courtesy of kentuckyderby.com as of 2 p.m. ET on April 27
- Renegade (4-1)
- Further Ado (6-1)
- Commandment (6-1)
- Chief Wallabee (8-1)
- The Puma (10-1)
- So Happy (15-1)
- Emerging Market (20-1)
- Potente (20-1)
- Fulleffort (20-1)
- Incredibolt (20-1)
- Silent Tactic (20-1)
- Danon Bourbon (20-1)
- Wonder Dean (30-1)
- Golden Tempo (30-1)
- Pavlovian (30-1)
- Albus (30-1)
- Right to Party (30-1)
- Litmus Test (30-1)
- Six Speed (50-1)
- Intrepido (50-1)
2026 Kentucky Derby picks, predictions
Louisville Courier Journal: Commandment is No. 1 pick
The USA TODAY Network outlet’s final ranking of the horses leading into Kentucky Derby week placed Commandment in the No. 1 spot, followed by Renegade, The Puma, Further Ado and Emerging Market
KentuckyDerby.com: Commandment leads pack
Of the seven handicappers and experts listed at the Kentucky Derby’s official website, four had Commandment ranked as the No. 1 horse in this year’s field. Two experts picked Renegade as their top pick and The Puma also received one No. 1 ranking.
Horse Racing Nation: Watch out for Chief Wallabee
“(Chief Wallabee) adds blinkers for this race, which should focus him enough to put it all together. It is true that the addition of blinkers is rare and often unsuccessful in the (Kentucky) Derby, but if anyone knows what they are doing it is (trainer) Bill Mott. … (Chief Wallabee) has the perfect tracking style to get first run on the deep closers and offers a square price in a wide-open Kentucky Derby.”
Odds Shark: Further Ado is best bet
“He has a stakes win at Churchill Downs already. Plus, he crushed all his prep races – winning the Blue Grass Stakes Grade 1 race in April by 11 lengths. He also has fantastic lineage, having been sired by Gun Runner, who placed third in the 2016 (Kentucky) Derby and won the Breeders Cup Classic the following year. Further Ado is trained by Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Brad Cox and will be ridden by experienced jockey Johnny Velasquez.”
Kevin Kerstein, Churchill Downs: Further Ado
“The way that Further Ado has trained for Brad Cox … he’s just really impressed me … He just sort of has to repeat that last race (Blue Grass Stakes). There’s a lot of horses in this race that might have to improve to beat Further Ado in this start.”
Watch the Kentucky Derby on Peacock
How to watch 2026 Kentucky Derby: TV, live stream
The 2026 Kentucky Derby undercard races will be broadcast by NBC Sports Network and Peacock (Noon-2:30 p.m. ET) on Saturday, May 2.
Coverage of the 2026 Kentucky Derby will then shift to NBC and Peacock from 2:30-7:30 p.m. ET, with post time for the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby scheduled for 6:57 p.m. ET.
As Mark Pope works frantically to build the 2026-27 Kentucky Basketball roster, we now have a high school reclassification candidate to monitor.
According to On3’s Joe Tipton, Pope is set to have an in-home visit with 5-star wing Ryan Hampton. Tipton also notes that Hampton is a reclass candidate, which he almost has to be for Pope to visit him at a time when nearly all of his focus is on next season’s roster.
Hampton does not currently hold a scholarship offer from the Wildcats, but that may very well come Monday.
The 6-foot-6 Texas native is the brother of former Kentucky recruit R.J. Hampton, a 5-star recruit in the class of 2019 who ended up playing in Australia before being drafted into the NBA, where he spent four years and now plays in China.
The younger Hampton, who plays at DME Academy in Florida, is ranked as high as fifth overall in the 2027 class by 247 Sports. He holds scholarship offers from Kansas, Indiana, Tennessee, SMU, Texas, Louisville, Nebraska, Texas A&M, NC State, and LSU, among others. He’s taken official visits to SMU, Nebraska, and NC State.
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