LOUISVILLE, KY – Renegade, owned by Robert and Lawana Low along with Repole Stable, has been tabbed as the 4-1 morning line favorite for next Saturday’s 152nd running of the $5 million Kentucky Derby (G1) presented by Woodford Reserve. The race features a full field of 20 runners plus four also-eligibles.
The 1 ¼-mile Kentucky Derby serves as the highlight of a 14-race card that begins at 11 a.m. ET, with the Derby scheduled as Race 12 and a post time of 6:57 p.m. ET. The winner will take home $3.1 million.
Trained by two-time Derby winner Todd Pletcher, Renegade enters in top form after dominating his two starts in 2026. He captured the Sam F. Davis (L) at Tampa Bay Downs by 3 ¾ lengths before following up with a 4-length victory in the Arkansas Derby (G1). Irad Ortiz Jr., still seeking his first Kentucky Derby win, will ride from the rail in post 1. Renegade would give Pletcher another Derby score to go along with Super Saver (2010) and Always Dreaming (2017).
Sharing second favoritism at 6-1 are Commandment and Further Ado, both trained by Brad Cox, who won the 2021 Derby with Mandaloun.
Commandment enters on a four-race win streak that includes victories in the Fountain of Youth (G2) and Florida Derby (G1). Luis Saez has the mount from post 6. Further Ado, meanwhile, is coming off a dominant 11-length win in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at Keeneland on April 4. Three-time Derby-winning jockey John Velazquez will ride from post 18.
Cox also sends out Fulleffort (20-1) for St. Elias Stable and Starlight Racing, with Tyler Gaffalione aboard from post 20.
The 8-1 fourth choice is Chief Wallabee, owned by Mike and Kay Kay Ball, who finished third in the Florida Derby. Trained by Bill Mott, Chief Wallabee will attempt to give his conditioner back-to-back Derby wins following last year’s victory with Sovereignty. Junior Alvarado will ride from post 12.
Mott and Alvarado teamed up with Sovereignty in 2025 en route to a Horse of the Year campaign. The last trainer/jockey duo to win consecutive Derbies was Lucien Laurin and Ron Turcotte with Riva Ridge (1972) and Secretariat (1973).
Adding another storyline, Bill Mott’s son Riley will saddle his first Derby starters with Albus (30-1), winner of the Wood Memorial (G2), and Incredibolt (20-1), winner of the Virginia Derby. Manny Franco rides Albus from post 2, while Jaime Torres takes the call aboard Incredibolt from post 11. The Motts become just the second father-son duo to saddle runners in the same Derby, joining Red and Bobby Wingfield in 1964.
Several veteran jockeys also return with hopes of adding to their Derby resumes. Mike Smith, a two-time winner, rides So Happy (15-1), trained by Mark Glatt, from post 8 after winning the Santa Anita Derby (G1). Flavien Prat, who won aboard Country House, partners with undefeated Louisiana Derby (G2) winner Emerging Market (15-1) for Chad Brown from post 15. Javier Castellano reunites with trainer Gustavo Delgado in hopes of repeating their 2023 success with Mage, this time aboard The Puma (10-1), who exits post 9.
Bob Baffert will pursue a record seventh Derby win with two runners: Potente (20-1), runner-up in the Santa Anita Derby, and Litmus Test (30-1), winner of the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2). Juan Hernandez rides Potente from post 14, while Martin Garcia pilots Litmus Test from post 4.
Doug O’Neill, a two-time Derby-winning trainer, sends out Pavlovian (30-1) for Reddam Racing, with Edwin Maldonado aboard from post 16. Kenny McPeek, who won the 2024 Derby with Mystik Dan, returns with Right to Party (30-1), runner-up in the Wood Memorial. Chris Elliott, son of 2004 Derby-winning jockey Stewart Elliott, will ride from post 5.
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Field for the 152nd Kentucky Derby (from the rail out):
- Renegade (Irad Ortiz Jr., Todd Pletcher, 4-1)
- Albus (Manny Franco, Riley Mott, 30-1)
- Intrepido (Hector Berrios, Jeff Mullins, 50-1)
- Litmus Test (Martin Garcia, Bob Baffert, 30-1)
- Right to Party (Chris Elliott, Kenny McPeek, 30-1)
- Commandment (Luis Saez, Brad Cox, 6-1)
- Danon Burbon (Atsuya Nishimura, Manabu Ikezoe, 20-1)
- So Happy (Mike Smith, Mark Glatt, 15-1)
- The Puma (Javier Castellano, Gustavo Delgado, 10-1)
- Wonder Dean (JPN) (Ryusei Sakai, Daisuke Takayanagi, 30-1)
- Incredibolt (Jaime Torres, Riley Mott, 20-1)
- Chief Wallabee (Junior Alvarado, Bill Mott, 8-1)
- Silent Tactic (Cristian Torres, Mark Casse, 20-1)
- Potente (Juan Hernandez, Bob Baffert, 20-1)
- Emerging Market (Flavien Prat, Chad Brown, 15-1)
- Pavlovian (Edwin Maldonado, Doug O’Neill, 30-1)
- Six Speed (Brian Hernandez Jr., Bhupat Seemar, 50-1)
- Further Ado (John Velazquez, Brad Cox, 6-1)
- Golden Tempo (Jose Ortiz, Cherie DeVaux, 30-1)
- Fulleffort (Tyler Gaffalione, Brad Cox, 20-1)
- AE Great White (Alex Achard, John Ennis, 50-1)
- AE Ocelli (Joe Ramos, Whit Beckman, 50-1)
- AE Robusta (Emisael Jaramillo, Doug O’Neill, 50-1)
- AE Corona de Oro (Brian Hernandez Jr., Dallas Stewart, 50-1)
