The 2026 Kentucky Derby post position draw took place on Saturday, April 25, 2026, between races 3 and 4 on Opening Day at Churchill Downs. The morning-line favorite Renegade landed in Post 1, the rail, a spot that has not produced a Kentucky Derby winner since Ferdinand in 1986.
Here is the complete official field for the 152nd Kentucky Derby, running Saturday, May 2, 2026, at approximately 6:57 PM ET at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.
Quick Facts
- Race: 152nd Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve
- Date: Saturday, May 2, 2026
- Post Time: Approximately 6:57 PM ET
- Venue: Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky
- Distance: 1 1/4 miles on dirt
- Total Purse: $5 million
- Winner’s Share: $3.1 million
- Field Size: 20 horses
- Draw Date: Saturday, April 25, 2026
- Morning-Line Favorite: Renegade (9-2, Post 1)
- TV Coverage: NBC and Peacock (2:30 PM to 7:30 PM ET, May 2)
- Undercard Coverage: Peacock and NBCSN from 12:00 PM ET
Official 2026 Kentucky Derby Post Positions and Morning Line
| Post | Horse | Morning Line |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Renegade | 9-2 |
| 2 | Albus | 40-1 |
| 3 | Intrepido | 50-1 |
| 4 | Litmus Test | 30-1 |
| 5 | Right to Party | 50-1 |
| 6 | Commandment | 6-1 |
| 7 | Danon Bourbon | 50-1 |
| 8 | So Happy | 15-1 |
| 9 | The Puma | 10-1 |
| 10 | Wonder Dean | 25-1 |
| 11 | Incredibolt | 25-1 |
| 12 | Chief Wallabee | 10-1 |
| 13 | Silent Tactic | 30-1 |
| 14 | Potente | 15-1 |
| 15 | Emerging Market | 20-1 |
| 16 | Pavlovian | 40-1 |
| 17 | Six Speed | 40-1 |
| 18 | Further Ado | 5-1 |
| 19 | Golden Tempo | 30-1 |
| 20 | Fulleffort | 20-1 |
The morning line reflects the official oddsmaker’s projection of how public interest will shape the race. Final figures at post time on May 2 may differ as more fans evaluate the field through Derby Week.
Full Field with Trainers, Jockeys and Owners
| Post | Horse | ML | Trainer | Jockey | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Renegade | 9-2 | Todd Pletcher | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Mike Repole and Robert and Lawana Low |
| 2 | Albus | 40-1 | Riley Mott | Manny Franco | Pin Oak Stud |
| 3 | Intrepido | 50-1 | Jeff Mullins | Hector Berrios | Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures |
| 4 | Litmus Test | 30-1 | Bob Baffert | TBD | SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables |
| 5 | Right to Party | 50-1 | Kenny McPeek | Chris Elliott | Chester Broman |
| 6 | Commandment | 6-1 | Brad Cox | Luis Saez | Wathnan Racing |
| 7 | Danon Bourbon (JPN) | 50-1 | Manabu Ikezoe | Atsuya Nishimura | Danox Co. |
| 8 | So Happy | 15-1 | Mark Glatt | Mike Smith | Norman Stables and Saints Or Sinners |
| 9 | The Puma | 10-1 | Gustavo Delgado | Javier Castellano | Ogma Investments, RJ Ranch, High Step Racing |
| 10 | Wonder Dean (JPN) | 25-1 | Daisuke Takayanagi | Ryusei Sakai | Yoshinari Yamamoto |
| 11 | Incredibolt | 25-1 | Riley Mott | Jaime Torres | Pin Oak Stud |
| 12 | Chief Wallabee | 10-1 | Bill Mott | Junior Alvarado | Mike and Katherine Ball |
| 13 | Silent Tactic | 30-1 | Mark Casse | Cristian Torres | John Oxley |
| 14 | Potente | 15-1 | Bob Baffert | Juan Hernandez | Speedway Stables |
| 15 | Emerging Market | 20-1 | Chad Brown | Flavien Prat | Klaravich Stables |
| 16 | Pavlovian | 40-1 | Doug O’Neill | Edwin Maldonado | Reddam Racing |
| 17 | Six Speed | 40-1 | Bhupat Seemar | TBD | Brunetti Dugan Stables, Black Type Thoroughbreds, Steve Adkisson, Swinbank Stables |
| 18 | Further Ado | 5-1 | Brad Cox | John Velazquez | Spendthrift Farm |
| 19 | Golden Tempo | 30-1 | Cherie DeVaux | Jose Ortiz | Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable |
| 20 | Fulleffort | 20-1 | Brad Cox | Tyler Gaffalione | St. Elias Stable and Starlight Racing |
The morning line was set by Churchill Downs oddsmaker Nick Tammaro, who is making his Kentucky Derby debut following the retirement of Mike Battaglia after 51 years.
The Top Contenders: Breaking Down the Favorites
Renegade (9-2) – Post 1
Trainer: Todd Pletcher | Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr. | Sire: Into Mischief | Dam’s sire: Curlin
The morning-line favorite, Renegade was assigned Post 1 on the second pull of the draw. Owner Mike Repole drew the rail, historically the most challenging spot in a full 20-horse Derby field.
Renegade is unbeaten in 2026, winning the Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs and then routing the field by four lengths in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park. He went winless as a juvenile across three starts, though he crossed the line first by a head in his second start before being disqualified for bumping. His record stands at 2-2-1 across five career starts.
Renegade is an Into Mischief colt whose dam is a stakes winner by two-time Horse of the Year Curlin, giving him a strong stamina pedigree for the 1 1/4-mile distance. He is trained by Todd Pletcher, who holds the all-time record for most Kentucky Derby starters with 65, more than any other trainer in history by 14 horses. Pletcher has won the Derby twice, with Super Saver in 2010 and Always Dreaming in 2017, but none of his last 13 starters has finished in the money.
The challenge from Post 1 is real. No horse has won the Kentucky Derby from the rail since Ferdinand in 1986. In a 20-horse field, horses at Post 1 face severe early traffic risk as the field compresses into the first turn. Renegade’s closing style means he needs a clean trip, something difficult to guarantee from the inside.
It has also been seven years since the favorite won the Kentucky Derby. Justify was the last favorite to prevail in 2018, ending a six-year run in which the favorite won every edition of the race.
Further Ado (5-1) – Post 18
Trainer: Brad Cox | Jockey: John Velazquez | Sire: Gun Runner
Further Ado is the second choice on the morning line and drew Post 18, one of the more favorable outside gates for a closer. Since 2000, more than half of Kentucky Derby winners have broken from Post 13 or higher, and last year’s winner Sovereignty broke from Post 16 after scratches.
Further Ado was the most visually impressive runner in the field. He crushed the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland on April 4 by 11 lengths after finishing second by three-quarters of a length to The Puma in the Tampa Bay Derby earlier in the year. He is a Gun Runner colt with strong stamina pedigree for the mile and a quarter, and he broke his maiden at Keeneland by 20 lengths as a juvenile before winning the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs to close out 2025.
John Velazquez, a Hall of Fame jockey and three-time Kentucky Derby winner, picks up the mount for the first time. The pairing of one of the sport’s most accomplished riders with the buzz horse of the prep season is a major angle for May 2.
Commandment (6-1) – Post 6
Trainer: Brad Cox | Jockey: Luis Saez | Sire: Into Mischief
Commandment is the third choice on the morning line. He enters on a four-race win streak, anchored by a Grade 1 Florida Derby victory over The Puma and Chief Wallabee. He is a half-brother to Renegade, both sons of Into Mischief from different mares, and is trained by Brad Cox.
Post 6 is one of the more middling inside posts. Commandment is expected to be forwardly placed, which means he can use Post 6 effectively. Critics point to his slowing Beyer speed figures across his win streak, suggesting he has been winning on class rather than improving raw times.
The Puma (10-1) – Post 9
Trainer: Gustavo Delgado | Jockey: Javier Castellano
The Puma shares the fourth spot on the morning line with Chief Wallabee. Trained by Gustavo Delgado, who won the 2023 Kentucky Derby with Mage at long odds, The Puma brings a sense of déjà vu since both Delgado and jockey Javier Castellano teamed with Mage three years ago. The Puma won the Tampa Bay Derby and finished second by a nose to Commandment in the Florida Derby. Post 9 is a solid middle gate.
Chief Wallabee (10-1) – Post 12
Trainer: Bill Mott | Jockey: Junior Alvarado
Chief Wallabee shares the fourth choice price. Trainer Bill Mott won the 2025 Kentucky Derby with Sovereignty, ridden by the same jockey, Junior Alvarado. Chief Wallabee did not race as a juvenile and won his debut at Gulfstream Park in January 2026, then ran second in the Fountain of Youth and third in the Florida Derby, finishing behind Commandment and The Puma both times.
Post 12 sits in the middle of the gate, a historically productive zone for Derby winners. Mott’s overall Derby record is mixed despite last year’s win, with only three of his 14 career Derby starters finishing in the top five and an average finish of 9.1.
Trainer Storylines
Brad Cox’s Triple Threat
Brad Cox saddles three horses in the 2026 Kentucky Derby: Further Ado (Post 18, 5-1), Commandment (Post 6, 6-1), and Fulleffort (Post 20, 20-1). Having the top two morning-line choices behind the favorite from the same barn is unusual at Churchill Downs. The jockey assignments reveal where Cox’s confidence is concentrated: John Velazquez, a Hall of Famer, rides Further Ado, while Luis Saez handles Commandment.
Cox has one Kentucky Derby win, with Mandaloun in 2021, declared the winner after Medina Spirit’s medication disqualification. None of his short-priced horses in the last three Derbies have won, and just one of his last 10 Derby starters has finished in the top three.
Bob Baffert: Two Entries Chasing History
Bob Baffert saddles two horses in 2026: Litmus Test (Post 4, 30-1) and Potente (Post 14, 15-1). Baffert is tied with Ben Jones for the all-time record with six Kentucky Derby wins and would set the new mark with a victory on May 2. Potente won the San Felipe Stakes and ran second in the Santa Anita Derby. Litmus Test enters as a longer shot at 30-1.
Notably, Potente is also a son of Into Mischief, making him a half-brother to both Renegade and Commandment. The same sire has three live contenders in the field.
A Mott Family First
For the first time in more than six decades, a father and son each have Kentucky Derby contenders. Bill Mott, who won the 2025 Derby with Sovereignty, points Chief Wallabee at Post 12. His son Riley Mott has two horses in the field: Albus (Post 2, 40-1), the Wood Memorial winner, and Incredibolt (Post 11, 25-1), the Virginia Derby winner. Both Riley Mott horses race for Pin Oak Stud.
International Runners
Two horses enter via the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby:
Danon Bourbon (Post 7, 50-1) – Trained by Manabu Ikezoe, ridden by Atsuya Nishimura. Owned by Danox Co. Danon Bourbon is unbeaten in three career starts, including a win in the Fukuryu Stakes. He is sired by Maxfield, a Kentucky-bred who won five races at Churchill Downs.
Wonder Dean (Post 10, 25-1) – Trained by Daisuke Takayanagi, ridden by Ryusei Sakai. Owned by Yoshinari Yamamoto. Draws Post 10, one of the statistically strongest gates in Derby history with nine career winners.
Post Position History: What the Numbers Say
Most Productive Posts in Kentucky Derby History
| Post | Total Winners | Last Winner |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 10 | Always Dreaming (2017) |
| 8 | 9 | Mage (2023) |
| 10 | 9 | Giacomo (2005) |
| 1 | 8 | Ferdinand (1986) |
| 2 | 7 | Affirmed (1978) |
| 7 | 7 | Mandaloun (2021) |
| 15 | 6 | Authentic (2020) |
| 3 | 6 | Mystik Dan (2024) |
| 16 | 5 | Sovereignty (2025) |
| 17 | 0 | Never won |
| 6 | 2 | Sea Hero (1993) |
2026 Field Analysis by Gate Zone
Inside zone (Posts 1 to 5): Renegade, Albus, Intrepido, Litmus Test, Right to Party. Five horses crowd the inside. The first turn compression in a 20-horse field challenges inside starters without early speed. Renegade must navigate through this traffic.
Middle zone (Posts 6 to 12): Commandment, Danon Bourbon, So Happy, The Puma, Wonder Dean, Incredibolt, Chief Wallabee. Historically the most productive zone, combining track position advantages with reduced first-turn traffic.
Outside zone (Posts 13 to 20): Silent Tactic, Potente, Emerging Market, Pavlovian, Six Speed, Further Ado, Golden Tempo, Fulleffort. Outside posts have shown strong trends since 2000, with more than half of Derby winners breaking from Post 13 or higher in that period.
Key Historical Notes
No horse has won from Post 17 in 44 starts. Six Speed (Post 17, 40-1) faces a steep historical challenge. Post 1 has eight historical winners but none since 1986. Post 5 is the winningest gate historically with 10 champions. Post 10 has nine winners and has produced an in-the-money finish (top three) in 27.9% of starts across 86 Derbies.
Each path off the rail adds approximately 25 feet of extra running distance on each turn. A horse racing six paths wide on both turns runs about 150 feet more than the rail horse.
How the Post Draw Works
The draw uses a pill pull format. Paper entry sheets for all 20 horses are shuffled. The official draws a sheet, reads the horse’s name, then pulls a numbered pill from a bottle, assigning that horse the corresponding post. The process continues until all 20 gates are filled.
Up to 24 horses can enter but only 20 can run. Horses numbered 21 to 24 are also-eligibles and will run only if a starter scratches before 9:00 AM ET on Friday, May 1, 2026. Post numbers shift inward when scratches occur before a horse’s number.
How to Watch the 2026 Kentucky Derby
| Platform | Window | Access |
|---|---|---|
| NBC | 2:30 to 7:30 PM ET, May 2 | Free on cable, satellite, or digital antenna |
| Peacock | 12:00 to 7:30 PM ET, May 2 | $10.99/month, includes full undercard |
| NBCSN | 12:00 to 2:30 PM ET, May 2 | Cable/satellite subscribers |
| FanDuel TV | Full Derby Week (Apr 25 to May 2) | Free with FanDuel TV account |
| Kentucky Oaks (May 1) | 8:00 PM ET on NBC/Peacock | First-ever primetime Oaks broadcast |
International viewers may need a VPN with a US server to access Peacock from outside the United States.
2026 Kentucky Derby Post Positions FAQ
Who is the morning-line favorite and what post did they draw?
Renegade is the 9-2 morning-line favorite per the official Churchill Downs odds set by oddsmaker Nick Tammaro after the April 25 draw. Renegade drew Post 1, the inside rail.
Who are the second and third favorites?
Further Ado is the second choice at 5-1 from Post 18. Commandment is the third choice at 6-1 from Post 6. Both are trained by Brad Cox, giving him three of the top four positions on the morning line when including 20-1 longshot Fulleffort.
What post position has the best historical record?
Post 5 has produced the most Kentucky Derby winners with 10. Posts 8 and 10 are tied for second with nine winners each. Post 10 has the best overall in-the-money rate at 27.9%. Post 5 drew Right to Party (50-1) in 2026.
Has Post 1 ever won the Kentucky Derby?
Yes, eight times historically. However, the last Post 1 winner was Ferdinand in 1986. No horse has won from the rail in 40 years.
What post has never won the Kentucky Derby?
Post 17 has never produced a Derby winner in 44 starts since the starting gate was introduced in 1930. Six Speed (40-1) starts from Post 17 in 2026.
Are there international horses in the 2026 field?
Yes. Danon Bourbon (Post 7, 50-1) and Wonder Dean (Post 10, 25-1) both entered via the Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby.
What is the 2026 Kentucky Derby purse?
The total purse is $5 million. The winner receives $3.1 million, second place $1 million, third $500,000, fourth $250,000, and fifth $150,000.
How does the morning line differ from final odds?
The morning line is the oddsmaker’s pre-race projection of public interest, designed to estimate where horses will land on race day. Final figures at post time on May 2 reflect actual public engagement throughout Derby Week and may shift significantly from these projections.
Can the favorite end the Kentucky Derby drought?
The Kentucky Derby has not been won by the morning-line favorite since Justify in 2018, a seven-year stretch. That period followed a six-year run from 2013 through 2018 in which the favorite won every edition. Renegade carries that historical weight into Post 1 on May 2.
Sources: NBC Sports official post-draw listing (April 25, 2026), Churchill Downs official site, BloodHorse, Yahoo Sports, America’s Best Racing, ESPN, TwinSpires. The morning line is set by Churchill Downs oddsmaker Nick Tammaro and is the authoritative pre-race projection. This article is published for informational and entertainment purposes only.
