The Kentucky Derby 2026 horses are set and the post positions are official. The 152nd Run for the Roses goes off Saturday, May 2 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. All 20 runners have their gates and morning line odds locked in.
Print this page or grab the PDF below and bring it with you on race day. You will have every horse, trainer, jockey, and odds right at your fingertips.
Update (May 2): Three horses scratched during race week. Silent Tactic (Post 13, foot bruise), Fulleffort (Post 20, ankle chip), and Right to Party (Post 5, lameness in the right foreleg) are out. Great White, Ocelli, and Robusta drew in from the also eligible list. The field stands at 20 runners.
Table of Contents
Full List of Kentucky Derby 2026 Horses (Updated)
The starting gate matters more than most fans realize. Middle posts tend to get the cleanest run. The inside rail traps closers in traffic. The far outside means extra ground around both turns.
The post position draw happened Saturday, April 25 at Churchill Downs. Three horses came out during race week. Silent Tactic left first on April 29 with a bruised foot. Fulleffort dropped out April 30 with a chip in his left hind ankle. Right to Party scratched Friday morning, May 1, after regulatory vets flagged lameness in his right front leg. Great White, Ocelli, and Robusta moved into the field. Posts 5, 13, and 20 stay empty in the official program.
| Post | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Morning Line Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Renegade | Todd Pletcher | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 4-1 |
| 2 | Albus | Riley Mott | Manny Franco | 30-1 |
| 3 | Intrepido | Jeff Mullins | Hector Berrios | 50-1 |
| 4 | Litmus Test | Bob Baffert | Martin Garcia | 50-1 |
| 5 | SCR | |||
| 6 | Commandment | Brad Cox | Luis Saez | 6-1 |
| 7 | Danon Bourbon | Manabu Ikezoe | Atsuya Nishimura | 20-1 |
| 8 | So Happy | Mark Glatt | Mike Smith | 15-1 |
| 9 | The Puma | Gustavo Delgado | Javier Castellano | 10-1 |
| 10 | Wonder Dean | Daisuke Takayanagi | Ryusei Sakai | 30-1 |
| 11 | Incredibolt | Riley Mott | Jaime Torres | 20-1 |
| 12 | Chief Wallabee | Bill Mott | Junior Alvarado | 8-1 |
| 13 | SCR | |||
| 14 | Potente | Bob Baffert | Juan Hernandez | 20-1 |
| 15 | Emerging Market | Chad Brown | Flavien Prat | 15-1 |
| 16 | Pavlovian | Doug O’Neill | Edwin Maldonado | 30-1 |
| 17 | Six Speed | Bhupat Seemar | Brian Hernandez Jr. | 50-1 |
| 18 | Further Ado | Brad Cox | John Velazquez | 6-1 |
| 19 | Golden Tempo | Cherie DeVaux | Jose Ortiz | 30-1 |
| 20 | SCR | |||
| 21 | Great White | John Ennis | Alex Achard | 50-1 |
| 22 | Ocelli | D. Whitworth Beckman | Joseph Ramos | 50-1 |
| 23 | Robusta | Doug O’Neill | Cristian Torres | 50-1 |
The three scratched horses keep their original posts in the official program. Great White, Ocelli, and Robusta drew in with their original, also-eligible numbers (21, 22, 23). The 20 active runners shown above without strikethroughs make up the final field.
Download Your Printable KY Derby 2026 Horses List (Updated)
We built a clean one page PDF so you can print and follow every runner on race day. It packs every horse, post position, trainer, jockey, and morning line price onto a single sheet. Print it on regular A4 or letter sized paper and keep it in your pocket.
Download the Printable List Here (PDF)
We also made a free Kentucky Derby Program PDF you can print at home before race day.
Also Check: What time does the Kentucky Derby 2026 start?
Top Kentucky Derby 2026 Horses to Watch
Not every horse in this field has the same shot. A handful stand out based on prep race form, trainer record, and post position.
Renegade (Post 1, 4-1) Renegade sits at the top of the morning line. Todd Pletcher trains him and Irad Ortiz Jr. rides. Owners Robert Low, Lawana Low, and Mike Repole’s Repole Stable hope this is the year that ends Repole’s 0 for 8 record at the Run for the Roses. Renegade dropped to last in the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park in March, then ran past the entire field to win by four lengths. The catch is the rail draw. No horse has won from Post 1 since Ferdinand in 1986. Ortiz will likely drop him to the back early and pray for a fast pace up front.
Commandment (Post 6, 6-1) Commandment is Renegade’s half brother. Both share Into Mischief as their sire. He brings a four race win streak into this Derby that includes the Grade 1 Fountain of Youth in February and the Grade 1 Florida Derby in March, where he beat The Puma by a nose. Brad Cox trains him. Cox already owns one Derby trophy from his 2021 debut with Mandaloun, who is yet another half brother of Commandment. That makes four sons of Into Mischief tied to this race: Renegade, Commandment, Potente, and the absent Mandaloun.
Further Ado (Post 18, 6-1) Further Ado put the field on notice with an 11 length romp in the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 4. He earned a 107 Equibase Speed Figure that day, tying Renegade for the top number among the Kentucky Derby 2026 horses. Post 18 gives him an outside stalking spot that fits his style. Last year’s winner Sovereignty broke from Post 16, and nine of the past 15 Derby winners came from Post 13 or wider. John Velazquez rides for his fourth Derby win after Animal Kingdom in 2011, Always Dreaming in 2017, and Authentic in 2020. Spendthrift Farm owns him.
Chief Wallabee (Post 12, 8-1) Chief Wallabee carries a heavy storyline. Bill Mott trains and Junior Alvarado rides. That is the same combination that won the 2025 Kentucky Derby with Sovereignty. Alvarado wants back to back roses. Chief Wallabee will wear blinkers for the first time in his career on Saturday. Post 12 sits in the middle of the gate and gives him room to find a clean spot in the early run.
A Few Dark Horses to Keep an Eye On
Every Kentucky Derby produces at least one shocker. These names sit lower on the odds board but they bring real cases.
The Puma (Post 9, 10-1) The Puma won the Tampa Bay Derby and lost the Florida Derby by a nose to Commandment. Post 9 has nine all time Derby winners, making it one of the strongest gates on the board. Gustavo Delgado trains and Javier Castellano rides. The pair won the 2023 Kentucky Derby together with Mage. Live betting has dropped him to 7-1, putting him among the most heavily backed horses in the race.
So Happy (Post 8, 15-1) So Happy won the Santa Anita Derby by two and three quarter lengths and has trained well at Churchill Downs all week. Hall of Famer Mike Smith rides at age 60 and wants to become the oldest jockey to win the Kentucky Derby. The current record belongs to Bill Shoemaker, age 54 when Ferdinand won in 1986. Mark Glatt trains. Post 8 carries nine all time wins. Live markets have dropped So Happy to 6-1, making him a co favorite with Renegade.
Potente (Post 14, 20-1) Bob Baffert wants a record seventh Kentucky Derby trophy. He sits tied with Ben Jones at six official wins. Potente is a half brother to Renegade and Commandment. All three are sons of Into Mischief. That gives one sire three real shots at the trophy this year. Juan Hernandez rides. Potente finished second in the Santa Anita Derby behind So Happy in his final prep, and beat Robusta by a nose in the San Felipe Stakes before that.
Emerging Market (Post 15, 15-1) Chad Brown trains this Louisiana Derby winner. Emerging Market is a deep closer who needs a fast early pace to set up his late run. Post 15 gives him plenty of room to settle in without trouble. Flavien Prat rides for his second Derby win after taking Country House home in 2019.
Six Speed (Post 17, 50-1) Six Speed has the most dramatic post in this race. No horse has ever won the Kentucky Derby from Post 17. Forty Niner came closest with a second place finish in 1988. The post sits at 0 for 46. Bhupat Seemar trains and Brian Hernandez Jr. rides. Hernandez took Mystik Dan to the wire in 2024, so he knows how to win this race. Six Speed was runner up to Wonder Dean in the UAE Derby. He breaks fast and could try to grab the early lead, with the post helping him stay clear of inside speed.
Great White (Post 21, 50-1) Great White moved into the field Wednesday after Silent Tactic scratched. He is a big gray gelding under trainer John Ennis and jockey Alex Achard. He won the John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park earlier this year, beating the now scratched Fulleffort. Post 21 is an outside draw with extra ground on both turns. Live betting has shortened his price to 33-1, the biggest move on any longshot in the field. Rich Strike drew in late and won at 81-1 in 2022. That memory keeps every longshot bettor dreaming.
Ocelli (Post 22, 50-1) Ocelli moved into the field Thursday after Fulleffort scratched. Trainer D. Whitworth Beckman saddles him and Joseph Ramos rides. Ocelli is 0 for 6 in his career but finished third in the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct to earn his 25 qualifying points. Brokers Tip in 1933 was the last maiden to win the Kentucky Derby. Ocelli is a deep longshot but adds an interesting wildcard to the gate.
Robusta (Post 23, 50-1) Robusta is the latest addition. He drew in Friday morning after Right to Party scratched. Doug O’Neill trains him for Calumet Farm, where he was bred. O’Neill knows Derby Day well, with wins from I’ll Have Another in 2012 and Nyquist in 2016. Cristian Torres takes the mount. Torres was originally booked for Silent Tactic before that scratch on Wednesday.
Robusta’s signature run came in the G2 San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita, where he led into the stretch and got caught at the wire by Potente. Robusta is a son of Accelerate, the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner. O’Neill now has two horses in the race counting Pavlovian (Post 16). Post 23 is the outside spot, but the gate position with the highest historic win percentage sits right next door at gate 20.
Why Post Positions Matter More Than You Think
Post 5 has produced more winners than any other gate, with ten total Derby trophies. Post 8 and Post 10 each follow with nine. The middle of the gate, roughly Post 5 through Post 12, gives horses the cleanest start. Post 5 sits empty this year after Right to Party scratched, so that historical winner factory is unused.
Post 1 is rough. Five horses have won from the rail in race history, but the most recent was Ferdinand in 1986. Renegade has the job of breaking that 40 year streak. Other posts have actually waited longer for a winner. Post 2, Post 9, Post 12, Post 14, and Post 17 have all gone longer than Post 1 without a Derby trophy.
Post 17 has never sent a winner across the line. It sits at 0 for 46 in race history. Six Speed gets that gate this year and tries to break the curse.
The outside has been kind lately. Post 20 owns the highest win percentage of any gate at 10.5 percent, with Big Brown winning from there in 2008 and Rich Strike in 2022. Sovereignty took Post 16 home last year. Nine of the last 15 Derby winners broke from Post 13 or wider. Clean traffic matters more than saving ground at this distance.
A great horse can win from almost anywhere. Post position shapes how the race opens from the first jump. Knowing the trends helps you watch with sharper eyes.
How to Watch the 2026 Kentucky Derby
The 152nd Kentucky Derby runs Saturday, May 2, 2026 at Churchill Downs. Post time is roughly 6:57 p.m. ET.
Undercard coverage opens at noon ET on Peacock and NBCSN. Main race day coverage starts at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock and runs until 7:30 p.m. ET. Stream the full day on Peacock. International viewers can pair a VPN with a US server to access Peacock from outside the country.
Kentucky Derby 2026 Horses FAQs: All You Want to Know
How many horses will run in the 2026 Kentucky Derby?
Twenty horses will break from the gate for the 152nd Run for the Roses. Three were scratched during race week. Silent Tactic came out April 29 with a bruised foot, Fulleffort came out April 30 with a chip in his left hind ankle, and Right to Party came out May 1 after regulatory vets found lameness in his right foreleg. Great White, Ocelli, and Robusta drew in from the also eligible list to complete the 20 horse field.
Why are Posts 5, 13, and 20 missing from the program?
The Kentucky Derby keeps the original draw numbers even after scratches. Right to Party drew Post 5, Silent Tactic drew Post 13, and Fulleffort drew Post 20. The post numbers stay empty in the program once a horse drops out. Replacement horses keep their original also eligible numbers, which is why Great White is Post 21, Ocelli is Post 22, and Robusta is Post 23. Each horse will physically break from a gate that shifts inward to fill the gaps, but the saddle towel numbers do not change.
When did the post positions come out?
The post position draw happened Saturday, April 25, 2026 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Morning line odds came out the same day. The numbers stay locked through race day even when horses scratch.
Who is the favorite for the 2026 Kentucky Derby?
Renegade sits as the 4-1 morning line favorite. Todd Pletcher trains him and Irad Ortiz Jr. rides. He drew the rail at Post 1, a gate that has not produced a winner since Ferdinand in 1986. Live markets have shortened So Happy to roughly 6-1, putting him level with Renegade as a co favorite.
Does post position really matter in the Derby?
Yes. Post 5 has produced ten Kentucky Derby winners, more than any other gate. Posts 8 and 10 each have nine. No horse has ever won from Post 17. Six Speed will try to break that curse this year. Middle posts roughly between Post 5 and Post 12 give horses the best chance to find clean running. Recent winners have come from outside posts too, so the pattern is not absolute.
Where can I get a printable list of horses and odds?
Download the free printable list of Kentucky Derby 2026 horses right here on this page. The PDF lists every post position, horse name, trainer, jockey, and morning line price on one clean sheet. Print it and bring it to your watch party.
How do horses qualify for the Kentucky Derby?
Horses earn points through a series of designated prep races called the Road to the Kentucky Derby. The top 20 point earners at the end of the qualifying season get spots in the field. Also eligible horses sit on standby in case any starter scratches.
What are morning line odds?
Morning line odds come from the official Churchill Downs oddsmaker right after the post position draw. Nick Tammaro set the 2026 lines. The numbers reflect what the oddsmaker thinks public betting will look like. Real betting odds shift once wagering opens on race day.
Can a horse win the Derby from a bad post position?
Yes. Great horses with sharp jockeys have won from rough draws. The only post that has never sent a winner across the line is Post 17. Every other gate has at least one Derby trophy in the record book.
Do the favorites win most of the time?
Not lately. The betting favorite has not won the Kentucky Derby since Justify in 2018. That is eight straight years. Five of those favorites finished in the money but someone else hit the wire first.
How can I watch the Derby if I live outside the U.S.?
Stream the race on Peacock with a VPN set to a US server. International sports channels carrying NBC also broadcast the race live in many countries.
What is the best way to pick a Derby winner?
Look at horses that won their final prep race with rest in their legs. Recent winners have come from a mix of inside and outside posts, so the draw alone is not enough to throw a horse out. Check how each runner has handled dirt tracks and the Derby distance of one and a quarter miles. Horses training well at Churchill Downs in the week before the race tend to fire on race day.
The Kentucky Derby 2026 horses are set and race day is here. Print your list of Kentucky Derby 2026 horses, pick your favorite from the full field of 20, and settle in for the most exciting two minutes in sports.
Good luck and enjoy Derby Day.