2026 Louisiana Derby picks, odds: Horse racing writer has best bets for Saturday's Kentucky Derby prep race

The Steve Asmussen-trained Chip Honcho can guarantee himself a spot in the Kentucky Derby when he leaves the starting gate in the 2026 Louisiana Derby on Saturday at Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans. A $210,000 purchase two years ago, Chip Honcho has two wins in five starts. He is coming off a game runner-up effort in the Risen Star Stakes, the local prep race for the Louisiana Derby. For Saturday Chip Honcho is the 3-1 morning-line favorite in the Louisiana Derby odds. Golden Tempo (7-2), Pavlovian (6-1), Blacksmith (6-1), Easterly (6-1) and Emerging Market (6-1) round out the top six choices in the odds among the nine Louisiana Derby horses. Post time for the Louisiana Derby is 6:42 p.m. ET, with temperatures forecasted to be in the mid-70s around post time. 

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 Louisiana Derby picks or horse racing predictions considering what he pulled off two weeks ago.

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 just three weeks ago, 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 Louisiana Derby field and revealed his picks. We can tell you that Menez's top pick is not Chip Honcho, even though he is the 3-1 morning-line favorite. "I just don't see Chip Honcho getting better with the additional half-furlong of the Louisiana Derby," he says. Menez prefers another horse over Chip Honcho in the Louisiana Derby.

Instead, Menez's top pick is a horse who "could be in store for a big effort." He also is high on another horse who "has enough speed." Menez is including these horses in his 2026 Louisiana Derby bets, and so should you. You ABSOLUTELY NEED to see which horses they are before making any 2026 Louisiana Derby picks of your own.

So which horse wins the 2026 Louisiana Derby? What other horse is a must-back? And how has Menez constructed his wagers? ... Join SportsLine NOW to get the top 2026 Louisiana Derby picks and bets, all from the expert who hit the Pick 5 at Gulfstream Park for $4,648 just three weeks ago.