The first Saturday in May is also known as Kentucky Derby Day, and the 152nd running of the race will go to post this Saturday at 6:57 p.m. ET. The 20-horse field is composed of favorites and longshots looking to prevail at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Among the former is Renegade, priced at 4-1 in the 2026 Kentucky Derby odds as he’ll look to emerge victorious from his No. 1 post. At 6-1 to utilize in Kentucky Derby 2026 bets are Further Ado and Commandment, who are both trained by Louisville native Brad Cox. No horse racing event is complete without longshot thoroughbreds, and among those for The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports are Silent Pavlovian (30-1) and Golden Tempo (30-1). Ocelli (50-1) is also a longshot, having been drawn into the field with Fulleffort being scratched. With so much to consider while making your 2026 Kentucky Derby picks, a little expert help can go a long way.
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The Kentucky Derby has always been contested at Churchill Downs, dating back to the inaugural race in 1875, but it hasn’t always been 1 1/4 miles in distance. The first 21 runnings were 1 1/2 miles, with the first Derby at 1 1/4 miles coming in 1896. The race was shortened due to the thought that 1 1/2 miles of distance was too demanding on 3-year-old horses early in their spring seasons. James Rowe G. Sr. is one of 19 trainers to win multiple Kentucky Derby races but is the only to prevail at both distances. He first won in 1881 with Hindoo and then 34 years later in 1915 by saddling Regret…