2026 Kentucky Derby day picks grid: Experts give their top three selections for nine stakes races on Saturday

Saturday is Kentucky Derby day at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. There are 14 races on the card, including nine stakes races. Before you make any picks, you NEED to know how SportsLine experts Gene Menez, Michelle Yu and Jeff Hochman have handicapped the day.

Gene Menez, a former reporter and editor at Sports Illustrated, has had big scores on Kentucky Derby day. In 2015, he accurately gave out the Kentucky Derby superfecta (American Pharoah, Firing Line, Dortmund and Frosted), which paid $1,268.20 for $2. 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. And last year, he hammered the Derby exacta and trifecta for a $1,045 payout.

Michelle Yu, an on-air host and reporter with a background training horses who has provided racing analysis for TVG, HRTV and the Breeders' Cup, has tremendous handicapping chops. In a wide-open Kentucky Derby in 2021, she gave out Medina Spirit, who crossed the finish line first, as the winner at 12-1. In Pool 5 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager four years ago, she suggested a play on All Other 3-Year-Olds, which cashed at a whopping 18-1 when Rich Strike won. And last year, she hit the Sovereignty-Journalism exacta in the Kentucky Derby.

Jeff Hochman has shown a profit in 22 of the past 39 Triple Crown races. He nailed Big Brown in the 2008 Kentucky Derby at odds of 2-1. More recently, he swept the 2022 Triple Crown, capped off by Mo Donegal's win in the Belmont Stakes. In 2023, he cashed the Preakness with National Treasure.

For Saturday, the three of them handicapped the card, beginning with Race 4, the Derby City Distaff at 12:38 p.m. ET and ending with the Kentucky Derby, and identified their top three choices in each race. They also have picked out one best bet and one longshot of the day. We can tell you that Menez's best bet of the day is Crude Velocity in the Pat Day Mile (3:23 p.m. ET).

In addition, Menez's top pick in one of the races is a big double-digit longshot. You NEED to see their analysis before making any selections.

So which double-digit longshot can win? And how do the experts see all nine races playing out? ... Join SportsLine now to get selections for Saturday, all from SportsLine's accomplished horse racing experts.