The 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 2 at 6:57 p.m. ET from Churchill Downs will feature plenty of previous winners, headlined by six-time champion trainer Bob Baffert looking for a historic seventh Derby win. Baffert will have two chances in the 19-horse field in the Run for the Roses with Potente (20-1) and Litmus Test (30-1). Jockey Jonathan Velazquez is a three-time Derby champion and will be steering Further Ado (6-1). Chief Wallabee (8-1) will be steered by jockey Junior Alvarado and trained by Bill Mott, the duo which won the Kentucky Derby last year. And yet it is Arkansas Derby winner Renegade who is the favorite at 4-1 in the latest Kentucky Derby 2026 odds. The Puma (10-1) scratched on Saturday morning, leaving the field with one less horse than the maximum of 20. Bet the Kentucky Derby with the exclusive TwinSpires offer code CBSSPORTS to receive up to $400 in bonus bets, double what’s available to the general public:
Horse racing bettors have plenty of options when it comes to making their 2026 Kentucky Derby picks, choosing to back experience and past success or going with the current favorite. Before making any 2026 Kentucky Derby picks, you’ll want to see what racing reporter and analyst Michelle Yu has to say before making any 2026 Kentucky Derby bets.
In a wide-open Kentucky Derby in 2021, Yu gave out Medina Spirit, who crossed the finish line first, as the winner at 12-1. In Pool 5 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager three years ago, she suggested a play on All Other 3-Year-Olds, which cashed at a whopping 18-1 when Rich Strike won.
She started off 2025 by correctly going all-in on Citizen Bull to win the Robert B. Lewis Stakes, and she also predicted Forever Young’s win in the Saudi Cup, Journalism’s win in the San Felipe Stakes, Sandman’s win in the Arkansas Derby and Mindframe’s win in the Churchill Downs Stakes. She also hit the exacta in the Kentucky Derby. In August she hit the Fierceness-Journalism exacta in the Pacific Classic, and in March 2026 she nailed the Renegade-Silent Tactic-Taptastic trifecta in the Arkansas Derby. Anyone who has followed her on those picks on betting sites like FanDuel Racing, TwinSpires and 1/ST BET could be up huge.
Now, with the 2026 Kentucky Derby post positions set and odds on the board, Yu is sharing her 2026 Kentucky Derby betting picks and 2026 Kentucky Derby predictions over at SportsLine. You can head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2026 Kentucky Derby predictions
One surprise: Yu is fading Commandment, despite his status as one of the favorites at 6-1. The reason? Conditioning. Even in victory, Commandment showed signs of fading down the stretch in the Florida Derby, and the Kentucky Derby is an even longer race.
“I don’t like that his win margins have diminished as the races have gotten longer,” Yu told SportsLine. “He was very game in his Florida Derby score, though.” Additionally, while Commandment will have one of the most experienced jockeys in the field in Luis Saez, he’s 0-for-12 in the Kentucky Derby in the past, finishing no better than third back in 2021. See which other 2026 Kentucky Derby horses to avoid at SportsLine.
Another curveball: Yu is high on Chief Wallabee at 8-1. The Bill Mott-trained colt hasn’t won since breaking his maiden in January of this year, but he’s been right there in the Fountain of Youth Stakes and the Florida Derby, finishing a close second and third, respectively, in those races.
“The Bill Mott bandwagon has been strong with this lightly raced son of Constitution, and he has become the wiseguy horse,” Yu told SportsLine. “An excellent drill over the strip has bettors foaming as he adds blinkers, and of course his connections can get it done.” See which other horses to back at SportsLine, and you can sign up for FanDuel Racing for the Kentucky Derby here to get $25 in bonuses with a $5 wager:
How to make 2026 Kentucky Derby picks
Moreover, Yu’s top pick is a horse who is “screaming for more ground.” She’s also is high on a double-digit longshot who “drew perfectly.” She’s sharing which 2026 Kentucky Derby horses to back at SportsLine.
So who wins the 2026 Kentucky Derby? What double-digit longshot is a must-back, and how has Yu constructed her wagers? Visit SportsLine to see Yu’s picks for the Kentucky Derby, all from the Santa Anita-based racing insider who has a long history of success in the Kentucky Derby, and find out.
