When is the Kentucky Derby 2026? Jody Demling revealed his 2026 Kentucky Derby picks for the Run for the Roses on Saturday, May 2 at Churchill Downs
By Ross Kelly Apr 25, 2026 at 5:42 pm ET • 3 min read 
Imagn Images With the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby now just one week away on Saturday, May 2, the field is now in place following the 2026 Kentucky Derby post draw on Saturday afternoon. The Grade I race at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., is scheduled to feature 20 entrants when the 6:57 p.m. ET post time arrives. Among the favorites include Renegade at 9-2, Further Ado at 5-1, Commandment at 6-1 and The Puma at 10-1. Renegade, trained by Todd A. Pletcher, has been dominant of late.
After top-three finishes to start his career, Renegade broke into the win column at the 2026 Sam F. Davis in February, where he finished ahead of Wayne's Law and The Puma. He then won the 1 1/8-mile 2026 Arkansas Derby ahead of Silent Tactic and Taptastic. Can Renegade ride that momentum to a 2026 Kentucky Derby victory? Before making any 2026 Kentucky Derby picks, be sure to see the horse racing predictions and futures bets from SportsLine's elite horse racing expert Jody Demling.
Bet the Kentucky Derby with the latest TwinSpires offer code CBSSPORTS to receive up to $400 in bonus bets here:
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 Oaks-Derby double 12 times in the last 17 years. He also predicted the top three 2025 Kentucky Derby finishers in the correct order and called the exacta in last year's Preakness. Anyone who has followed him on horse racing betting sites could be way up.
Now, with the 2026 Kentucky Derby approaching and horse racing futures odds on the board, Demling is sharing his 2026 Kentucky Derby betting picks and 2026 Kentucky Derby predictions over at SportsLine. Go here to see them.
Top 2026 Kentucky Derby predictions
One of Demling's surprising 2026 Kentucky Derby picks: He is fading Chief Wallabee (10-1) even though he's one of the favorites. Compared to the other top 2026 Kentucky Derby horses, Chief Wallabee, who will break from post No. 12, did not pick up many points in Kentucky Derby prep races, tying for 16th in the standings with 50.
After winning a maiden special race at seven furlongs in January, Chief Wallabee followed that up with a second-place finish in the Fountain of Youth Stakes and a third-place run in the Florida Derby, finishing behind Commandment and The Puma. Demling barely has him hitting the board and has found better values for early 2026 Kentucky Derby bets. See who to back at SportsLine.
Another stunner: Demling is high on Fulleffort, even though he's a longshot at 20-1 and will break from post No. 20. The Brad H. Cox-trained horse has never finished lower than fourth in any of his seven career races. That fourth-place finish came in his first start in July 2025.
He followed that up by finishing third in August before a maiden stakes win in September. He took first in the Kee Allow at Keeneland in October and started the new year off with back-to-back second-place finishes in the Leonatus in January and John Battaglia Memorial in February. He is coming off a first-place finish in last month's Jeff Ruby Steaks. Because of that, Demling is confident Fulleffort can make a run at reaching the board at Churchill Downs. See which other horses to back at SportsLine, and you can make 2026 Kentucky Derby picks at TwinSpires here with the offer code CBSSPORTS:
How to make 2026 Kentucky Derby picks, bets
Demling is also high on a longshot who "demolished the field" in his last start. Anyone who backs this colt could hit it big. Demling is sharing which horse it is, along with his entire projected 2026 Kentucky Derby leaderboard, over at SportsLine.
Which horse wins the Kentucky Derby 2026, and which longshot is a must-back? Check out the latest 2026 Kentucky Derby odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Demling's picks for the Kentucky Derby, all from the expert who has nailed 12 Derby-Oaks doubles.
