2026 Kentucky Derby horses, odds, futures, preview, date: Expert who hit 12 Derby-Oaks Doubles makes picks

One of the most popular Kentucky Derby prep races is annually the Florida Derby, which is held five weeks before the former. Commandment, a Brad Cox-trained colt, won this year's Florida Derby, putting him in pristine position to compete in the 2026 Kentucky Derby. With the victory, and the 100 points that came with it, Commandment now tops the Kentucky Derby standings, which determine who qualifies for The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports.

During his four-race win streak, Commandment's speed figures have risen, as has his standing on the Kentucky Derby 2026 odds board. He is at 12-1, trailing only co-favorites Paladin (8-1) and Chief Wallabee (8-1). The 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby will take place on Saturday, May 2 from Churchill Downs. 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 (8-1) even though he's a co-favorite. Chief Wallabee impressed in his horse racing debut, winning over seven furlongs in Jan. 2026. However, he's yet to match that result and is going in the wrong direction. He was the runner-up in his stakes debut at the Fountain of Youth in late February, before finishing third in his last race at the Florida Derby. The level of competition has increased in each successive race, so it's hard to ignore that Chief Wallabee's placements have regressed.

The horse's pedigree may also be of concern, as the caliber of his father, Constitution, is incomplete. The latter won the G1 Florida Derby in 2014 but injury knocked him out of all three Triple Crown races that year. Chief Wallabee's damsire, Medaglia d'Oro, did compete in all three Triple Crown races plus two Breeders' Cup races, and he failed to win any of the five. For a horse with such short Kentucky Derby odds, there are just too many question marks to comfortably use Chief Wallabee in Kentucky Derby bets. See who to back at SportsLine.

Another stunner: Demling is high on Renegade, even though he's a longshot at 13-1. Trained by Todd A. Pletcher, Renegade enters April on a roll after winning two straight races, including the prestigious Arkansas Derby on Saturday. He also won the Sam F. Davis Stakes in February and took second in the Ramsen Stakes in January. 

"One of several key contenders trained by Todd Pletcher, the Sam F. Davis winner shouldn't mind as the races get longer," Demling told SportsLine. See which other horses to back at SportsLine, and you can make Kentucky Derby futures bets TwinSpires here:

How to make 2026 Kentucky Derby picks, bets

Demling is especially high on a massive double-digit longshot who could be the best of a "barnful of standouts." 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 huge double-digit 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