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

With that first class pedigree, Potente sold for $2.4 million in August 2024, the highest auction price of any horse in this year's Kentucky Derby field.

He is bred to go long, which makes his victory in his career debut while setting solid fractions at six furlongs even more impressive. Baffert even said the horse was "short" on training entering the race. One start later, he stretched out to 8½ furlongs in the San Felipe Stakes and rallied from off the pace to just get up to win at the wire.

And then in his final Kentucky Derby prep, the Santa Anita Derby, he found himself setting the pace again after stablemate Cherokee Nation, the expected pacesetter, broke poorly from the gate. Though Potente fought valiantly he couldn't hold off So Happy in the stretch, losing by 2¾ lengths.

Speed figures across the board have rated the Santa Anita Derby as one of the fastest prep races this season, which makes Potente a live longshot on Saturday.

But if Potente couldn't win the Santa Anita Derby, how will he win the Kentucky Derby? Baffert says that Potente is better when he's not setting the pace, and he's not likely to set the pace on Saturday with Six Speed and Litmus Test in the field.

Also, the Santa Anita Derby was just the third career start for Potente, so he still has room to improve. Based on his morning workouts at Churchill Downs, he is moving in the right direction. On Sunday, he turned in a bullet five-furlong workout in 57⅘ seconds, which suggests he's sitting on a big race.

Since Baffert has won this race six times, bettors don't usually get 20-1 on his horses at FanDuel Racing, TwinSpires and 1/ST BET, but you just may get that on Saturday. Get a $500 sign-up bonus with our jumbo-sized 1/ST BET offer here:

Post draw analysis

Potente's ideal trip would be in the second flight just behind the leaders and stalking three-wide. The problem is he's one of about eight horses in the race that want that same trip. The good news is that his No. 14 post should help him get that position. If he's able to secure that spot and avoid traffic trouble, his distance breeding could make things interesting in the final furlong.