2026 Kentucky Derby odds, horses, futures: Uncanny bettor releases picks, best bets

The Kentucky Derby 2026 takes place on Saturday, May 2 from Churchill Downs, and Renegade is the 4-1 favorite in the latest 2026 Kentucky Derby now that a majority of the prep race have been completed. Other contenders include Commandment at 7-1, The Puma at 12-1 and Chief Wallabee at 13-1. 

With the field taking shape and just under a month to go until the race, it's the perfect time to start making 2026 Kentucky Derby futures picks. Before making any 2026 Kentucky Derby picks for the annual Run for the Roses, you NEED to see what our resident horse racing guru, Jody Demling, has to say, given his historical DOMINATION of this race.

A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling has nailed the Kentucky Derby-Oaks double 12 times in the last 17 years! He also nailed the top three 2025 Kentucky Derby finishers in the correct order. Anyone who has followed him on those picks could be WAY UP!

For the 2026 Kentucky Derby, we can tell you Demling is fading Chief Wallabee, saying he barely hits the board. Another stunner: Demling is high on Fulleffort at 23-1. "The Brad Cox-trained winner of the Jeff Ruby Steaks will relish the added distance, but has to overcome the question if he can run on dirt; reminds me a lot of last year's Ruby Steaks winner -- Final Gambit -- who finished fourth in the Derby for Cox."

Demling is also high on an EPIC double-digit longshot who "demolished the field" in his last start.  He's including this horse in his 2026 Kentucky Derby bets, and so should you. You ABSOLUTELY NEED to see his 2026 Kentucky Derby picks before locking in any of your own!

Who wins the 2026 Kentucky Derby, and which HUGE double-digit longshot is a MUST-BACK? ... Join SportsLine right now to get Jody Demling's 2026 Kentucky Derby projected leaderboard, all from the expert who has nailed a COLOSSAL 12 Derby-Oaks doubles!