2026 Kentucky Derby horses, odds, predictions, posts: Expert who nailed 12 Derby-Oaks Doubles gives best picks

It's been 21 years since a horse other than some shade of brown won the Kentucky Derby, but a couple of 2026 Kentucky Derby contenders could end that drought. Pavlovian and the appropriately named Great White all have a gray/roan coat color and figure to stand out from the rest of the field. Some bettors will make their Kentucky Derby picks solely based on a horse's appearance, though all three of these thoroughbreds are 2026 Kentucky Derby longshots. Bet the Kentucky Derby with the exclusive TwinSpires offer code CBSSPORTS to receive up to $400 in bonus bets here, double what's available to the general public:

Pavlovian has the shorter odds at at 30-1, with Great White at 50-1. The favorite, Renegade (4-1), is a bay horse, which is the most frequent coat color to win the Derby, taking first place 58 times, including last year. Another contender in the Kentucky Derby odds is the chestnut-coated Further Ado (6-1). Before making any 2026 Kentucky Derby picks, be sure to see the 2026 Kentucky Derby predictions and best bets from SportsLine's elite horse racing expert Jody Demling.

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, helping him cash a $1,682 superfecta, 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 to SportsLine to see them.

Top 2026 Kentucky Derby predictions

One of Demling's surprising 2026 Kentucky Derby picks: Demling is fading Renegade, the morning-line favorite at 4-1, saying, "He was my original pick, but there are just too many things going against him." The post-position draw is one of those things that went against Renegade as he'll start on the rail. It's been 40 years since a horse drew the No. 1 post and won the Kentucky Derby, and it's nearly been a decade since a horse from the inside post even finished in the money.

Also not necessarily in the horse's favor is his jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. While he's a five-time winner of the Outstanding Jockey award, Ortiz is a zero-time winner at the Kentucky Derby. He's 0 for 9 at The Run for the Roses, never even finishing in the money. Even when riding the 4-1 favorite, Improbable, at the 2019 Derby, Ortiz could only muster a fourth-place finish, which was originally a fifth place before a horse DQ'ed. See who to back at SportsLine.

Another stunner: Demling likes The Puma at 10-1. The Gustavo Delgado-trained horse did not begin his career until the start of the year, but he has not finished lower than third in his four races in 2026. He was second at both the MSW at Gulfstream Park in January and the 2026 Florida Derby, and was third at the February Sam F. Davis. He won the 2026 Tampa Bay Derby on March 7, finishing ahead of Further Ado, who is at 6-1.

The Puma is also looking to become just the second Tampa Bay Derby winner to win the Kentucky Derby. He would join Street Sense, who accomplished that in 2007. The only other Kentucky Derby winner to have competed in the Tampa Bay Derby was Super Saver, who was third in Tampa, before going on to win the 2010 Kentucky Derby. See which other horses to back at SportsLine, and you can sign up for FanDuel Racing for the Kentucky Derby here and get $25 in bonus bets with a $5 wager:

How to make 2026 Kentucky Derby picks, bets

Demling is also high on a stunning longshot who "could be a freak." Anyone who backs this sleeper pick 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 stunning 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