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The 2026 Kentucky Derby is set for Saturday, featuring 20 horses, with Renegade as the favorite starting from the first post position.
The horses and the post positions are set, so the 152nd Kentucky Derby can officially get underway. On Saturday, 20 horses will take the track looking to etch their names into the record books.
Renegade enters the event as the favorite, and coincidentally was selected in the first post position for the race. That’s a strong starting spot, as horses in the first post have eight wins at the Derby.
But the favorite hasn’t picked up a win in the event in recent years, just ask Journalism, which entered the 2025 Kentucky Derby as the favorite and finished second to Sovereignty. Can Renegade overcome the other competitors?
Here's everything you need to know about the 2026 Kentucky Derby ahead of the race.
The 2026 Kentucky Derby will take place Saturday, May 2. The race has traditionally taken place the first Saturday in May, though it didn't start that way. From 1875-1931, the race usually occurred in the middle of the month. That changed in 1932, when the event started being held the first Saturday in May.
That schedule has remained consistent since 1932, though did change as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The Derby was scheduled for the first Saturday in May originally, but had to be moved to Sept. 5 due to the pandemic.
Coverage of the Kentucky Derby is essentially an all-day event. But if you only want to tune in for the actual race, that is slated to occur at 6:57 p.m. ET. That time is not exact, and will depend on a number of factors, including how quickly the horses get into their post positions.
The Kentucky Derby is always held at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race has been held at the track since its inception. Churchill Downs is named after John and Henry Churchill, who leased the land for the racetrack.
The track is currently operated by Churchill Downs Incorporated.
Below is the field, post positions and odds for each horse in the 2026 Kentucky Derby. The favorite, Renegade, holds the No. 1 post position. Fulleffort sits in the No. 20 post.
The 2026 Kentucky Derby will take place on Saturday.
Renegade is the favorite for the 2026 Kentucky Derby.
Twenty horses will compete in the 2026 Kentucky Derby.
The first post position has historically seen eight wins at the Derby, making it a strong starting spot.

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The weather shouldn’t play a significant role in the 2026 Kentucky Derby. It’s supposed to be partly cloudy in Louisville on Saturday, with a high of 62. The chance of rain is pretty small on the actual day of the race. It could rain in the city Wednesday, and there’s a slight chance for rain Friday, which should bear monitoring. But on the actual race day, the weather forecast looks pretty clear.
The winner of the 2026 Kentucky Derby will receive roughly $3.1 million. That's what 2024 winner Sovereignty won last year.
In total, the event has a purse of $5 million. The horse that finishes in second place will win roughly $1 million.
The total purse at the event used to be about $3 million, but that changed in 2024, when it shot up to $5 million total.
LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - APRIL 25: Bob Baffert, trainer of Potente, looks on in the barn area after morning workouts ahead of the running of the 152nd Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on April 25, 2026 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
(Michael Reaves via Getty Images)
Controversial trainer Bob Baffert — who has a lengthy history of his horses failing drug tests — has two horses in the 2026 Kentucky Derby. He trained both Potente and Litmus Test.
Baffert returned to the event last year after a three-year ban from the race after his 2021 winner Medina Spirit tested positive for a banned steroid.
Medina Spirit was stripped of its win following a second positive test, leading to Baffert's suspension. Mandaloun was named the winner of the 2021 Kentucky Derby.
It’s a big race for Baffert, who would claim the record with his seventh Kentucky Derby victory if either Potente or Litmus Test is victorious. Baffert is currently tied with Ben Jones. Each man has trained six horses which have won the Kentucky Derby.
While the race won't begin until 6:57 p.m. ET, coverage of the Kentucky Derby will begin at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Peacock and NBCSN will stream the undercard and have even earlier coverage at noon ET.
This year will mark the 26th time the Kentucky Derby has aired on NBC.