American horse races often feature fewer than 10 horses, but the Kentucky Derby is a notable exception. The "Run for the Roses" generally draws a full field of 20 and a pair of alternates. Late scratches sometimes lower the final count, like when there were 19 starters last year following the scratches of Rodriguez and Grande. The 2026 Kentucky Derby field is materializing following the key prep races, and the 2026 Kentucky Derby post draw on April 25 will set the initial 2026 Kentucky Derby horses.
The Kentucky Derby 2026 is set for Saturday, May 2, from Churchill Downs. The 2026 Kentucky Derby odds list Renegade (4-1) and Commandment (7-1) as the early 2026 Kentucky Derby favorites, with every other projected Kentucky Derby horse listed at 12-1 or higher. 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.
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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 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 15-1. The Brad Cox-trained colt has hit the board in every race of his ambitious schedule, having run seven times since last July. It took him three events to get his first win, but since then, he's only finished first or second as he's built up distance.
Fulleffort comes to the Kentucky Derby 2026 off perhaps his best run, winning the Jeff Ruby Steaks with room to spare over Stark Contrast and Medici. Despite being well outside the top-five favorites, Demling expects Fulleffort to make a run, seeing him as a surprising horse who could hit 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.
2026 Kentucky Derby odds
