The 2026 Kentucky Derby is set for less than a week away at Churchill Downs in Louisville, marking its 152nd running. Prerace favorite Renegade will start from the No. 1 post position.
Key points
2026 Kentucky Derby is less than a week away
It will be the 152nd running of the race
Renegade is the prerace favorite starting from No. 1 post
Commandment and The Puma are also top contenders
The event takes place at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky
As the first leg of the American horse racing Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby is the most-watched and highest-attended horse race in the United States. This year's running at historic Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, will be the 152nd in the race's illustrious history.
Arkansas Derby winner and prerace favorite Renegade will start from the rail after drawing the No. 1 post position. Commandment, fresh off a Florida Derby victory, and The Puma are also top contenders.
Here's everything to know ahead of the 152nd Run for the Roses.
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How are starting positions decided in 2026 Kentucky Derby?
Each year, Churchill Downs decides the starting post position of each horse with a draw. One official pulls a piece of paper with a horse's name out of a pile while another draws a paper with a gate number out of a separate pile.
This year's Kentucky Derby draw was held on Saturday, April 25.
2026 Kentucky Derby post positions
Here's where each horse will start on Saturday, along with the horse's trainer, jockey and odds:
Corona de Oro, Dallas Stewart, Brian Hernandez Jr., 50-1
Renegade trains on the track during a morning workout at Churchill Downs on April 26, 2026, in preparation for the 152nd Kentucky Derby.
Renegade trains on the track during a morning workout at Churchill Downs on April 26, 2026, in preparation for the 152nd Kentucky Derby.
Kentucky Derby winners, by post position
History shows horses on the inside, starting from positions one to 10, are much more likely to win the Derby than those starting on the outside. Here are the all-time Derby winners by post position:
Each year's Kentucky Derby features 20 horses. They qualify from the United States as well as the "Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby" and "European Road to the Kentucky Derby," according to the official race website.
How long is the Kentucky Derby?
The annual Kentucky Derby is 1 1/4 miles of racing, or 10 furlongs. It is about two kilometers.
What is the Kentucky Derby record?
Secretariat set the record at Churchill Downs in 1973 with a time of 1:59.4.
When is the Kentucky Oaks 2026?
The Kentucky Oaks, the Derby's sister race, is a stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies, or female horses. This year's Kentucky Oaks will take place one day before the Kentucky Derby – Friday, May 1, 2026.
Odds for 2026 Kentucky Derby
Here are the odds for the 2026 Kentucky Derby from the Louisville Courier-Journal, listed in order of post position.
Sovereignty, with jockey Junior Alvarado aboard, emerged victorious at the 2025 Kentucky Derby, prevailing over the 19-horse field through thick mud in 2:02.31 at Churchill Downs after daylong showers.
Sovereignty came out of the 16th gate and went off with the fourth-best odds at 7-1 as the race started. Journalism, which came in as the favorite at 3-1, placed second with Baeza (13-1 odds) rounding out the top three.
Bob Baffert, appearing in his first Kentucky Derby since 2021 due to suspension, fell short in his bid to become the winningest trainer in Kentucky Derby history as Citizen Bull placed 15th. Baffert's six Kentucky Derby wins are tied with Ben Jones.