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

Imagn Images

Triple Crown season is approaching, and officially gets underway on Saturday, May 2. That's when the 2026 Kentucky Derby takes place from Churchill Downs in Louisville. Two weeks after that, the Preakness Stakes will be held, with the Belmont Stakes going off three weeks later. There have been 13 Triple Crown champions and none since 2018. However, last year saw Kentucky Derby champion Sovereignty win the Belmont, becoming the first horse to win multiple Triple Crown races since Justify won all three in 2018.

The 2026 Kentucky Derby favorite is Renegade, who is 4-1 and coming off a win in the Arkansas Derby. The latest 2026 Kentucky Derby odds have Commandment (7-1) as the only other thoroughbred with single-digit horse racing odds, with him coming off four straight wins. Other 2026 Kentucky Derby horses to consider with your 2026 Kentucky Derby bets include The Puma (12-1) and Chief Wallabee (13-1). 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.

Bet the Kentucky Derby with the latestTwinSpires offer codeCBSSPORTS to receive up to $400 in bonus bets to wager on almost any track by clicking here:

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 (13-1) even though he's one of the favorites. Earlier Kentucky Derby futures had Chief Wallbee with even lower odds heading into the spring. The Bill Mott-trained colt's outlook has faded a bit after losing twice to Commandment, once in the Fountain of Youth Stakes and again in the Florida Derby. The Puma also overtook him in the Florida Derby as Chief Wallabee settled for third.

Demling called Chief Wallabee's first career win in January "eye-catching." The fact that he wasn't able to win one of the top prep races, however, brings a bit of concern, which is a big reason why Demling has Chief Wallabee barely hitting the board. See who to back at SportsLine.

Another stunner: Demling is high on Fulleffort, even though he's a longshot at 23-1. After racing solely on turf as a juvenile, the horse shifted to a synthetic surface as a 3-year-old. He won on that surface at the Jeff Ruby Steaks and will make his first start on dirt at the Kentucky Derby. However, Fulleffort's pedigree indicates he won't have any issues with the transition. His father, Liam's Map, won multiple Grade 1 races on dirt. Fulleffort's damsire, Awesome Again, won the Breeders' Cup Classic at Churchill Downs in 1998.

Fulleffort is co-owned by St. Elias Stable and Starlight Racing, who have combined for three Kentucky Derby victories. Additionally, the horse is saddled by Louisville native Brad Cox, who won two-thirds of the 2021 Triple Crown, including that year's Kentucky Derby, in addition to being a two-time Trainer of the Year winner. Demling adds that Fulleffort "will relish the added distance" of the Derby, and the colt shouldn't be overlooked with horse racing bets. See which other horses to back at SportsLine, and you can make 2026 Kentucky Derby futures bets at TwinSpires here with the offer code CBSSPORTS:

How to make 2026 Kentucky Derby picks, bets

Demling is also high on an epic double-digit 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 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