Meet the Kentucky Derby horses running in the 2026 race
CBS News • • sports
Key Points:
- The 2026 Kentucky Derby, the first leg of horse racing's Triple Crown, will feature a full field of 20 horses competing at Churchill Downs on Saturday, with Renegade as the morning-line favorite at 4-1 odds.
- Renegade drew the challenging No. 1 post position, which has not produced a Derby winner since 1986, and will be ridden by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., who is making his 10th Derby appearance.
- Other notable contenders include Commandment and Further Ado, both at 6-1 odds, ridden by Luis Saez and John Velazquez respectively, with Velazquez seeking his fourth Derby win.
- The field also features horses trained by prominent trainers such as Bob Baffert, who aims to become the trainer with the most Derby wins, and jockeys with strong Derby histories like Mike Smith and Javier Castellano.
- Two horses, Fulleffort and Silent Tactic, scratched from the race, allowing Great White and Ocelli to enter; the race will start at approximately 6:57 p.m. ET as the 12th race of the day.
