Kentucky Derby Betting Guide: Favorites, Horses, Odds, TV Info, Betting Tips & More (May 1)

By Bill Speros

May 1st, 2026 2:00 PM EDT

The 152nd Kentucky Derby will be run on Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Check our Kentucky Derby Betting Guide for all the info you need before placing those bets. And, as always, wager responsibly.

Post-time for the first leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown is 6:57 p.m. ET. The race will air on NBC. The Derby is the most-watch, most-attended, and most-bet horse race in the country. 

The Kentucky Derby and its sister race run on Friday, the Kentucky Oaks, are the two oldest continuously contested sporting in the United States. Both were run for the first time in 1875. 

Here's what you need to know ahead of the "Run For The Roses" in our Kentucky Derby Betting Guide.

RELATED: Chasing The Perfect Mint Julep

What You Need To Know About The 2026 Kentucky Derby

What Horses Will Run In The 2026 Kentucky Derby?

The Derby field this year features 20 horses, all of whom are considered to be 3-year-olds. Those horses have qualified for the race by amassing enough points in previous races. 

Here is a look at current likely field, with the projected odds for each horse. Horses are listed by post position with their win-place-show record (and a number of starts), current odds, trainer, and jockey.

What Are The Favorite Horses In The Kentucky Derby?

Renegade and The Puma head into the weekend as co-favorites at 5-1. They are followed by So Happy at 6-1. Renegade runs from the dreaded No. 1 post position.

The favorites for the Kentucky Derby are typically determined by a combination of prep race performance, speed figures, pedigree, and betting market movement in the days leading up to the Run for the Roses.

In most years, the top contenders emerge from key prep races like the Florida Derby, Santa Anita Derby, and Blue Grass Stakes. Horses that perform well in those races often see their odds shorten quickly as bettors and oddsmakers react. Recent years have seen both dominant favorites and shocking longshots win, reinforcing the chaos of a 20-horse field and the unique 1¼-mile distance at Churchill Downs.

From a betting perspective, favorites don’t dominate the Derby the way they might in smaller fields. While they win their share, the value often lies elsewhere, especially underneath in exactas and trifectas. Still, identifying the right favorite—one that can handle traffic, distance, and pressure—is often the key to building a winning ticket on Derby Day.

How Can I Watch The Kentucky Derby?

When: Saturday

Coverage starts: 2:30 p.m. ET

Post time: 6:57 p.m. ET

Where: Churchill Downs; Louisville, Kentucky

TV: NBC, USA Network

Streaming: Peacock

How Long Is The Kentucky Derby?

Known as the “Fastest 2 Minutes In Sports,” the Kentucky Derby is 1 ¼ miles (or 10 furlongs). It’s run on a dirt track and the horses run counterclockwise. The race was run at 1 ½ miles from 1875 through 1895. 

How Much Money Is At Stake In The Kentucky Derby?

Kentucky Derby Purse Distribution:

• First: $3.1 million
• Second: $1 million
• Third: $500,000
• Fourth: $250,000
• Fifth: $150,000
  

Wagering from all sources on the Derby Day program totaled $349 million, Churchill Downs said. That broke a record set in 2024 of $320.5 million.

All-source wagering also hit a new high of $234.4 million after a record-setting $210.7 million in 2024, while all-sources handle for Derby Week totaled a record-setting $473.9 million.

What Horse Won The Kentucky Derby Last Year?

Sovereignty, off at 7-1 odds, won take the 151st running of the Kentucky Derby last year in front of 147,406 spectators at Churchill Downs.

How To Bet On The Kentucky Derby

Horse racing odds are based on the total amount of money wagered on each horse. They are not fixed by the house, like the odds in conventional sports betting. Horse racing odds continually change, until betting ends at post time. That holds for all the betting pools such as those to win, place, show. In addition to parlay wagers such as exactas and trifectas. All Kentucky Derby wagering is pooled together, whether it takes place on site at Churchill Downs, at the hundreds of retail off-track betting retail sites across the country, or online via legal horse racing apps.

Kentucky Derby betting remains available online via Churchill Downs in multiple states, in addition to separate horse racing apps operated by FanDuel and DraftKings.

Can I Trade The Kentucky Derby On Kalshi Or Polymarket

Prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi will NOT BE OFFERING trades based on the 152nd Kentucky Derby. Kashi told Bookies.com it would offer "no markets" on the race. ESPN reported Polymarket took down its markets at the request of Churchill Downs. The Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978 is a federal law that limits how operators can take wagers on races. Because of this being a federal regulation as opposed to the law of an individual state, prediction markets have backed off their offerings. They, too, claim federal protection.

What Do Sportsbooks Expect From This Kentucky Derby?

What Makes the Kentucky Derby . . . the Kentucky Derby?

The Derby never disappoints with hype, interest and betting handle. We are ahead of expectations on handle, and the weather looks to be a non-factor now. We expect another classic for a historical race that always delivers. From a fan perspective, we would love a finish to match the three-way photo of 2024, when Mystic Dan held off two world-class horses in Sierra Leone and Forever Young, who both went on to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic.

• Craig Mucklow, Vice President of Trading at Caesars Sportsbook

Where Is The Book Looking For & What Can Bettors Expect?

What I am not looking forward to is the continued hype and money coming in for the two Brad Cox horses, Commandment and Further Ado, who have both been impressive in their workouts and in tickets and handle; right now, they sit 1st and 2nd in wagering odds, handle, and tickets.

What I look forward to is seeing the tougher challenges. Renegade, the early favorite, has a tough draw in 1 and will need some luck in traffic, and of course, the annual attempt for the foreign riders to win America's greatest horse racing prize. This year, Japan has two entries: Danon Bourbon, the unbeaten and unchallenged, at shorter odds, and Wonder Dean, who is looking to break the duck for UAE Derby Winners. Interestingly, this year Wonder Dean traveled to the States immediately after the UAE Derby and has been working on the track for an extended period than usual.

• Craig Mucklow, Vice President of Trading at Caesars Sportsbook

What Are The Biggest Mistakes Kentucky Derby Betting Mistakes?

Former FanDuel TV host and current New York Racing Association announcer Todd Schrupp offers the following perspective:

Exotically speaking, meaning wagers outside of Win, Place & Show, there are more wagering options on the Kentucky Derby than ever before. There are at least a dozen pools for different wagers tied into the Derby. Narrow your focus on which ones you want to play. The Skill Set for playing 'Horizontally' into the Derby, i.e.; Double, Pick Three, Pick Five, or a Pick Six, is vastly different  than trying to hit the Derby 'Vertically'. Exotic Vertical options are Exacta, Trifecta, Superfecta, and Super Hi-5. Be a Horizontal or Vertical player on the Kentucky Derby, not both.

What Is The No. 1 Pick Of Advice For Bettors Heading Into The Derby?

Don't try to be the "the smartest person in the room," Schrupp advises.

We'd all like to be the only person to pick the Derby winner, and upsets do happen; but there is nothing wrong with consistently identifying solid 9-1 shots that can win versus the rarity of a 50-1 shot. Also, your first instinct about who can win the Derby is usually the best one. Don't be swayed by the deluge of information put out leading up to the Derby. There's nothing worse than being moved off a horse you always liked, because of someone else's opinion. Trust yourself, you got this.

Are There Any Major Misconceptions About Horse Racing Betting In General?

It’s not rocket science. But it does take work, Schrupp says.

THE biggest misconception about betting on horses is that it's completely random,” Schrupp says. “There is a sophistication and cerebral component to handicapping a horse's past performances and trying to find a winner. Over time makes you realize it's more than just 'horses running in a circle'. Couple that with the challenge of which pool to bet into and constructing your play; and you have not just the greatest challenge in the gambling world, you have the most rewarding."

What Is Up With All The Hats?

Hats were long been a sign of social standing in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. Often, the bigger and more ostentatious, the better. The Kentucky Derby has long been a magnet for cameras, and eventually film and TV. So the hats and fashion statements became a way to attract attention. Thus, the size and style of hats expanded along with the Derby’s wider audience. 

Why Is The Kentucky Derby Called “The Run For The Roses”?

The winning horse of the Kentucky Derby has been draped in a blanket of 554 roses since it moved to its current length in 1896. Why 554 roses? According to Derby historians: “Each rose in the garland represents the renewal of life and the endurance required to win the demanding 1 1/4-mile race.” 

What Horse Is The Fastest Kentucky Derby Winner Of All Time?

The great Secretariat won the 1973 Kentucky Derby in a time of 1:59.4. 

What Horse Is The Slowest Kentucky Derby Winner Of All Time?

Kingman took 2:52.25 to cover what was a 1 ½-mile run back in 1891. 

What Are The Other Races In The Triple Crown?

The other two races in the Triple Crown at the Preakness – run at Pimlico in Baltimore – and the Belmont Stakes – run at Belmont Park in New York. The Preakness is the shortest of the Triple Crown races at 1 3/16 miles (9.5 furlongs). The Belmont is the longest at 1 ½ miles (12 furlongs). This year, the Preakness will be run on May 16. The Belmont is scheduled for June 6.

What Horses Have Won The Triple Crown?

Since the three races began being run in the same year in 1875, 13 horses have won them all. None was better than Secretariat.. Here’s the list:

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