Kentucky Derby 2026 odds, post positons, date: Renegade, Commandment, Further Ado predictions revealed

As has been the case every year since 1896, the 2026 Kentucky Derby will be contested over 1 1/4 miles. Not knowing how the 2026 Kentucky Derby horses will perform over this distance is one of the many factors that makes horse racing betting so intriguing, but there is one race close in length to the Kentucky Derby, the Louisiana Derby, which measures 1 3/16 miles.

Emerging Markets showed he could handle that length after winning in Louisiana on March 21. Yet he’s a distant 15-1 in the latest 2026 Kentucky Derby odds. The Chad Brown-trained colt trails Renegade (4-1), Commandment (7-1), The Puma (12-1) and Chief Wallabee (13-1). Before making any picks for the 2026 Kentucky Derby, be sure to check out horse racing predictions and futures betting from SportsLine’s elite horse racing expert Jody Demling.

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A fixture in the horse racing world who has written, spoken and bet on races for years, Demling has completed the Kentucky Oaks-Derby double 12 times in the past 17 years. He also predicted the top three finishers for the 2025 Kentucky Derby in the correct order and called the exacta during last year’s Preakness. Everyone who followed him horse racing betting sites could be very high.

Now, as the 2026 Kentucky Derby and future horse racing odds approach, Demling shares his 2026 Kentucky Derby betting picks and 2026 Kentucky Derby predictions on SportsLine. Go here to see them.

Best Kentucky Derby 2026 Predictions, Expert Analysis

One of Demling’s surprising picks for the 2026 Kentucky Derby: He fades from Commandment (5-1), even though the Florida Derby winner is one of the favorites. It’s hard to ignore that Commandment is on a four-game winning streak. It’s also hard to ignore trainer Brad Cox’s recent history in the Kentucky Derby with low-odds horses.

Since 2023, Cox has had three Kentucky Derby starters priced at 10-1 or less, and none of them have prevailed. All three have averaged 9.0, and that includes the favorite, Angel of Empire, in 2023. Only one of Cox’s last 10 Kentucky Derby starters has finished in the money, as the Louisville native hasn’t turned his home track advantage into success lately. Find out who to support on SportsLine.

Demling also locked in his 2026 Kentucky Derby prediction for Renegade, who, at 9-2, is trying to become the first favorite to win the Kentucky Derby since 2018. It’s been a mixed bag for Kentucky Derby favorites recently, as that seven-year winless drought immediately followed a six-year run (2013-18) in which the favorite horse won every year. Renegade won both of his starts as a 3-year-old, including the G1 Arkansas Derby in late March. This comes after going winless as a juvenile in three races.

Renegade was sired by Into Mischief, who won his only dirt start at the 2007 CashCall Futurity but never attempted a race longer than 1 1/16 miles. Saddled by Todd Pletcher, Renegade boasts the most experienced trainer in Kentucky Derby history. Pletcher had 65 starters at the Run for the Roses, 14 more than any other coach. Two of those horses prevailed at Churchill Downs for Pletcher, but none of his last 13 Derby starters finished in the money. Bet on the Kentucky Derby with the latest TwinSpires CBSSPORTS promo code to claim up to $400 in bonus bets:

Demling also locked in his 2026 Kentucky Derby picks for Further Ado (17-1), who won at Churchill Downs at the end of his 2-year-old season. That victory came at the Kentucky Jockey Club, and the horse followed that up with a second-place finish in his debut as a 3-year-old. He returned to the winner’s circle in his final race, winning the G1 Blue Grass Stakes on April 4.

This gives Further Ado 28 days between his last race and the Derby. Each of the last six Derby winners have had at least 35 days of rest, with an average of 38.5 days of rest. Although this four-week time frame runs counter to recent Derby history for winners, it is a time frame that the horse and his connections are familiar with. That’s because Further Ado’s victory over Blue Grass came after 28 days of rest. Find out what other horses to support on SportsLine, and you can Place bets on the 2026 Kentucky Derby at TwinSpires here with offer code CBSSPORTS:

How to Make 2026 Kentucky Derby Picks and Bets

Demling is also high on a long shot that “demolished the field” in his last start. Anyone who supports this colt could hit hard. Demling shares which horse it is, along with his entire projected 2026 Kentucky Derby seeding, on SportsLine.

Which horse wins the 2026 Kentucky Derby and which longshot is a must-win? Check out the latest 2026 Kentucky Derby odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Demling’s Kentucky Derby picks, all from the expert who has 12 Derby-Oaks doubles.

2026 Kentucky Derby Odds