2026 Blue Grass Stakes picks, odds: Horse racing writer has best bet for Saturday's Kentucky Derby prep race

The Brad Cox-trained Further Ado can establish himself as one of the leading contenders for the Kentucky Derby when the starting gate opens in the 2026 Blue Grass Stakes on Saturday at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky. Further Ado first entered the Derby discussion in October when he broke his maiden by 20 lengths. But he is coming off a loss in the Tampa Bay Derby. For Saturday Further Ado has been installed as the 8-5 morning-line favorite in the Blue Grass Stakes odds. Reagan's Honor (5-2), Creole Chrome (8-1), Talkin (10-1) and Great White (15-1) round out the top five choices in the odds among the eight Blue Grass Stakes horses. (Class President is expected to scratch.) Post time for the Blue Grass Stakes is 6:22 p.m. ET, with temperatures forecasted to be in the 70s around post time and a chance of rain. 

With several talented horses set to enter the starting gate on Saturday, you NEED to see what SportsLine horse racing expert Gene Menez has to say before making any 2026 Blue Grass Stakes picks or horse racing predictions considering what he pulled off in last year's race.

A former reporter and editor at Sports Illustrated, Menez covered an array of sports, including horse racing, for the magazine and its website for almost 14 years. Between 2010 and 2012, he served as SI's handicapper for the Triple Crown races and correctly predicted Super Saver to win the Kentucky Derby in 2010.

In 2015, while writing for Sports on Earth, Menez accurately gave out the Kentucky Derby superfecta (American Pharoah, Firing Line, Dortmund and Frosted), which paid $1,268.20 for $2. Then in 2017, he tweeted out his Kentucky Derby picks, including Always Dreaming to win, and hit the Pick 4, which paid almost $6,900 on a $1 bet. In 2024, Menez gave out 18-1 Mystik Dan as a live longshot in the Kentucky Derby. 

Menez excels on horse racing's biggest days. In 2024 he crushed the late Pick 4 on Breeders' Cup Saturday for a $5,303 windfall. Last year he nailed the winner, trifecta and superfecta in the Florida Derby for a $529.60 score and the winner and trifecta in the Blue Grass Stakes for a $761.96 jackpot. Hit the late Pick 4 on Kentucky Oaks day for $915.48. In the Kentucky Derby, he hammered the exacta and trifecta for a $1,045 payout.

And earlier this year, on Fountain of Youth day, he struck big, hitting the late Pick 5 for $4,648.

Last year Menez put his handicapping skills up against the best horseplayers and finished 115th out of 643 entries in the Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge, the biggest live-money handicapping tournament in the country.

Now, Menez has handicapped the 2026 Blue Grass Stakes field and revealed his picks. We can tell you that Menez is completely tossing Reagan's Honor, even though he is the 5-2 second choice. "I'm going to fade Reagan's Honor, whose last two wins have come while setting slow fractions against soft fields," he says. "He's likely to face a different pace scenario on Saturday." Menez is not using Reagan's Honor in any of his wagers.

Instead, Menez's top pick is a horse who is "set up to move forward" on Saturday. He also is high on a big double-digit longshot who is "doing well." Menez is including these horses in his 2026 Blue Grass Stakes bets, and so should you. You ABSOLUTELY NEED to see which horses they are before making any 2026 Blue Grass Stakes picks of your own.

So which horse wins the 2026 Blue Grass Stakes? What double-digit longshot is a must-back? And how has Menez constructed his wagers? ... Join SportsLine NOW to get the top 2026 Blue Grass Stakes picks and bets, all from the expert who hit the race last year for $761.96.