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 at 6:57 p.m. ET, and Renegade is the 4-1 favorite in the 2026 Kentucky Derby morning-line odds. Renegade drew the No. 1 post position, which hasn't produced a winner since 1986. Other 2026 Kentucky Derby contenders include Further Ado at 6-1, Commandment at 6-1 and Chief Wallabee at 8-1. The Puma (10-1) scratched on Saturday morning, leaving the field with 19 horses. Weather conditions are ideal, with no heavy of threat of rain and the temperature just under 60 at post time.

With the field taking now in place, and the post time now almost here, it's the perfect time to make 2026 Kentucky Derby 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 and nailed a $1,682 superfecta! Anyone who has followed him on those picks could be WAY UP! Join SportsLine here to see his picks for this year!

For the 2026 Kentucky Derby, we can tell you Demling is fading Renegade, even though he's the morning-line favorite In fact, Demling says Renegade barely finishes in the top 10! Another stunner: Demling is high on Danon Bourbon, even though he's a longshot at 20-1. "This son of Maxfield was bred in Kentucky and is generating a bit of buzz on the backside," Demling said. See who he's picking this year!

Demling is also high on a double-digit longshot who "could be a freak." 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 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!