Pavlovian profile: 2026 Kentucky Derby odds, post position, history and more to know

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If experience wins the Kentucky Derby, then the connections of Pavlovian can start making their way to the winner's circle. This Doug O'Neill trainee already has raced 10 times, which is like an entire career for the modern day thoroughbred. And recently, the quality of his races has started to catch up with the quantity. Pavlovian enters the 2026 Kentucky Derby looking to give O'Neill his third Derby victory. Bet on Pavlovian and the Kentucky Derby at TwinSpires, where new users who click through our links get a supersized $400 sign-up bonus:

16 Pavlovian (30-1)

• Trainer: Doug O'Neill
• **Jockey:**Edwin Maldonado
• Last race: Second in the Louisiana Derby by a head
• **Career record:**10 starts: 2 wins, 4 seconds, 1 third
• Career earnings: $613,450
• Best career Beyer Speed Figure: 90 (Louisiana Derby)
• **Sire:**Pavel

Below, we'll dig further into Pavlovian as part of our series profiling all the horses competing in the 152nd Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 2. We'll look back into his past performances, what questions need to be answered Saturday and analyze how the post draw affects his chances.

Now that you know who's in the field, you'll want to know how to bet the Kentucky Derby on the top horse racing betting apps. FanDuel Racing is offering a $25 bonus with a $5 bet. Claim it here:

What to know about Pavlovian

As recently as Valentine's Day, Pavlovian was a middling California-bred, with just one maiden victory in eight starts and a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 71. The only Derby starting gate in his future was Oklahoma's, not Kentucky's.

But something happened on the way to Oklahoma. In the Sunland Derby, with jockey Edwin Maldonado taking the mount, Pavlovian was forwardly placed for the first time and won by a nose, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 87. Then, one race later, he took a major step up in class in the Louisiana Derby, went to the lead for the first time in his career and almost held off the talented Chad Brown trainee Emerging Market. That runner-up finish earned Pavlovian a 90 Beyer Speed Figure and a spot in the Kentucky Derby.