Jason Burgos
At 6:57 PM ET, close to 150,000 people will be inside Churchill Downs Racecourse to see which competitor will win the first leg of the 2026 Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby. This year’s field includes a deep list of contenders, dark horses, and long shots. But who is the best of the best heading into Saturday’s event?
We look to answer that question with our rankings of the 2026 Kentucky Derby horses, as well as best bets to win, show, and place tonight.
20. Ocelli (50-1)
D. Whitworth Beckman-trained horse Ocelli jumps into the 2026 Kentucky Derby after several horses, including Right to Party, were scratched from tonight’s race. Although Ocelli has six contests on his resume, he has no wins to his name. Furthermore, he enters this year’s derby in a slump after a pair of sixth-place finishes in his last three.
19. Intrepido (50-1)
Early in his career, Jeff Mullins-trained colt Intrepido showed a lot of potential after winning two of his first three races, including the American Pharoah last year. However, since then, the horse has struggled. Finishing fifth in the following race, and fourth a few weeks ago at Santa Anita. It is why he is a big underdog this Saturday.
18. Robusta (50-1)
Calumet Farm’s product Robusta gets a spot in this year’s event following a trio of scratches during race week. The colt is a huge underdog due to an underwhelming career thus far. While the three-year-old has a first and second-place finish on his five-race resume, he also has a pair of seventh-place finishes. Including last month against several derby competitors at Santa Anita.
17. Great White (50-1)
John Ennis-trained colt Great White has been all over the map over his first four races. The three-year-old scored a win in his December debut and in February at the John Battaglia Memorial. However, White has fifth-place finishes in his other two races, including in April at the Blue Grass. That unpredictability is a key reason why he is one of the biggest underdogs on Saturday.
16. Golden Tempo (30-1)
Cherie DeVaux-trained horse Golden Tempo got off to a solid start by scoring victories in the first two races of his career. However, when his team raised the competition by placing him in G2 races this year, the three-year-old has struggled. Finishing third in two races in Louisiana. That is why Tempo is seen as a long shot on Saturday.
15. Litmus Test (30-1)
Bob Baffert’s colt Litmus Test is one of the most experienced competitors in this weekend’s race. However, that is rarely a good thing. In six races, he has just two wins, and he has long-shot odds heading into Saturday after a very disappointing seventh-place finish in March at the Arkansas Derby.
14. Six Speed (50-1)
Bhupat Seemar-trained colt Six Speed is one of the foreign-bred contenders in this Saturday’s Kentucky Derby. The horse is also one of the more inexperienced competitors, with just three contests in his career. However, Speed has looked good thus far by winning two of those three races. Yet, he remains a long shot at the derby because of the weaker level of competition he has faced in the UAE so far.
For risky bettors looking for an under-the-radar Show option with big odds, Speed is a horse to keep an eye on.
13. Albus (30-1)
Riley Mott-trained horse Albus got off to a slow start when he made his debut last year. Finishing fourth and third in his first two contests. However, 2026 has been far better for the three-year-old as he has won two straight, including at the Wood Memorial in April. Albus is an intriguing Show option on Saturday.
12. Wonder Dean (30-1)
Japanese colt Wonder Dean is another of the international competitors in the 2026 event. The Yoshinari Yamamoto-trained Colt has only taken to the track twice after debuting at the Saudi Derby in February. However, a UAE Derby win over fellow Kentucky competitor Six Speed shows he is the top foreign horse this weekend. Dean is a solid choice to Show on Saturday.
11. Pavlovian (30-1)
Doug O’Neill-trained colt Pavlovian is one of the most experienced horses in this year’s race after competing in 10 contests since his debut in May 2025. However, he is one of the biggest underdogs in the event because he has just two wins to his name.
Nevertheless, despite his average performance throughout his career, Pavlovian did finish second at the Louisiana Derby to fellow Kentucky competitor Emerging Market. So he does have a chance at winning a Show bet, but is a sleeper to Place tonight.
10. Incredibolt (20-1)
Riley Mott-trained colt Incredibolt has had an up-and-down career. It’s why he is at the back end of the betting odds heading into the event after finishing sixth in a G3 face in January. However, Incredibolt turned heads in March when he won the Virginia Derby, making some wonder if he could perform better than expected on Kentucky’s fast dirt track this weekend and potentially Place.
9. Potente (20-1)
Potente, a three-year-old trained by racing legend Bob Baffert, is an intriguing betting option heading into the Kentucky Derby. The colt has taken to the track just three times after making his debut in January. However, he has two wins and a second-place finish in early April at the Santa Anita against notable Kentucky contender So Happy. Potente is an intriguing choice for Place and Show bets.
8. Chief Wallabee (8-1)
William Mott-trained colt Chief Wallabee will take to the track for just the fourth time on Saturday at the Kentucky Derby. While the three-year-old has good odds, it would be a big surprise if he won the race. In his last two contests, he has lost twice to fellow Kentucky competitor Commandment, including a third-place finish in Florida to both Commandment and The Puma.
7. Danon Bourbon (20-1)
Although Danon Bourbon is Kentucky-bred, the Manabu Ikezoe-trained colt went to Chiba, Japan, in March for his debut and scored a first-place finish. Despite being the least experienced of all the horses in this year’s race, Bourbon has solid odds. Showing that the three-year-old has talent to be a big problem on Saturday. The colt is a sleeper option as a Win bet tonight.
6. Emerging Market (15-1)
Chad Brown-trained colt Emerging Market is an under-the-radar sleeper at the 2026 Kentucky Derby. Yes, he only has two races on his resume after making his debut in February. However, after those races, he has two wins on his record. Including a big victory at the Louisiana Derby, where he outdueled fellow Kentucky Derby competitors Pavlovian and Golden Tempo. Market is a fantastic option for a Place bet.
5. So Happy (15-1)
Mark Glatt-trained colt So Happy enters this year’s Kentucky Derby as a top contender after an impressive start to his career. After debuting in January 2025, the three-year-old has won three of his four races. Although he stumbled with a third-place finish at San Felipe in March, So Happy bounced back with a big victory at Santa Anita in April. A race that included fellow Kentucky competitors Potente and Intrepido.
Happy can definitely Show on Saturday, but is be an interesting choice for bettors looking at a sleeper option to Place.
4. Further Ado (6-1)
Further Ado had a bumpy start to his career when he came out of the gates with third and fifth-place finishes in his first two races. However, since then, the Brad Cox-trained colt has caught fire. Winning three of his last four, with his lone defeat being a second-place finish to one of the favorites at the Kentucky Derby, The Puma. Further Ado will get a lot of wagers on him to Show and Place tonight, but he has the talent to win it all.
3. The Puma (10-1)
The Puma — trained by Gustavo Delgado — is a favorite heading into the 2026 Kentucky Derby because of the strong competition he has faced throughout his four-race career. While he has just one victory (never lower than a third-place finish), he has previously faced off with Kentucky competitors Chief Wallabee, Renegade, Further Ado, and Commandement.
It gives Delgado key intel to further prepare his talented horse for a Win at Saturday’s race.
2. Commandment (6-1)
Commandment is one of two Brad Cox-trained horses that are a real threat to win the Kentucky Derby. After a surprising fourth-place finish in his October debut, the team retooled, and Commandment is red-hot ahead of this year’s race.
The colt has won four straight, including a big victory over The Puma and Chief Wallabee at the Florida Derby in March. Commandement will be a popular pick among bettors and is our choice to win the 2026 Kentucky Derby.
1. Renegade (4-1)
Todd Pletcher-trained colt Renegade enters the 2026 Kentucky Derby as one of the favorites because of a strong five-race career and a recent hot streak. While he finished third in his August 2025 debut, he has consistently improved with each race since.
Renegade has won two straight, including a strong showing in March when he took home first-place at the Arkansas Derby. However, his February victory at the Sam Davis may have been his best yet because it included another Kentucky contender, The Puma. Renegade is the safest bet to Show and Place on Saturday, and is a favorite to Win for good reason.
