The Kentucky Derby is a tried and true spring betting tradition. The 153rd running is scheduled for Saturday, May 1, 2027, kicking off the first leg of the Triple Crown.
2027 Kentucky Derby key info
- Event: 153rd running of the Kentucky Derby
- Date: Saturday, May 1, 2027
- Main race post time: 6:57 p.m. ET
- Location: Churchill Downs, Louisville, KY
- TV/Streaming: NBC, NBCSN, Peacock, FanDuel TV
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Kentucky Derby picks
Our horse racing experts will be making Kentucky Derby predictions throughout the run-up to the "Run for the Roses!" Stay tuned for our best bets — including long shots, win/place/show picks, and exacta, trifecta, and superfecta picks — in the week leading up to the 2027 Kentucky Derby.
Kentucky Derby odds
Kentucky Derby odds are available from well before the big race and shift as Derby Day approaches. Check back in 2027 for coverage.
Kentucky Derby horses
Here is the full list of Kentucky Derby horses for the 2026 "Run for the Roses" — check back next year for the updated field.
| Horse | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|
| Danon Bourbon | Manabu Ikezoe | Atsuya Nishimura |
| Commandment | Brad Cox | Luis Saez |
| Chief Wallabee | Bill Mott | Junior Alvarado |
| Renegade | Todd Pletcher | Irad Ortiz Jr. |
| Further Ado | Brad Cox | John Velazquez |
| Emerging Market | Chad Brown | Flavien Prat |
| So Happy | Mark Glatt | Mike Smith |
| Potente | Bob Baffert | Juan Hernandez |
| Wonder Dean | Daisuke Takayanagi | Ryusei Sakai |
| Albus | Riley Mott | Manny Franco |
| Incredibolt | Riley Mott | Jamie Torres |
| Pavlovian | Doug O'Neill | Edwin Maldonado |
| Intrepido | Jeff Mullins | Hector Berrios |
| Litmus Test | Bob Baffert | Martin Garcia |
| Golden Tempo | Cherie DeVaux | Jose Ortiz |
| Six Speed | Bhupat Seemar | Brian Hernandez Jr. |
| Ocelli | D. Whitworth Beckman | Tyler Gaffalione |
| Robusta | Doug O'Neill | Cristian Torres |
Kentucky Derby post positions
The Kentucky Derby post position draw for 2026 was held on Saturday, April 25, with the horses racing out of the following gates:
| Cloth # | Post Position | Horse | Trainer / Jockey | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Renegade | Todd Pletcher / Irad Ortiz, Jr. | 4/1 |
| 2 | 2 | Albus | Riley Mott / Manny Franco | 30/1 |
| 3 | 3 | Intrepido | Jeff Mullins / Hector Berrios | 50/1 |
| 4 | 4 | Litmus Test | Bob Baffert / Martin Garcia | 30/1 |
| 6 | 5 | Commandment | Brad Cox / Luis Saez | 6/1 |
| 7 | 6 | Danon Bourbon | Manabu Ikezoe / Atsuya Nishimura | 20/1 |
| 8 | 7 | So Happy | Mark Glatt / Mike Smith | 15/1 |
| 10 | 8 | Wonder Dean | Daisuke Takayanagi / Ryusei Sakai | 30/1 |
| 11 | 9 | Incredibolt | Riley Mott / Jaime Torres | 20/1 |
| 12 | 10 | Chief Wallabee | Bill Mott / Junior Alvarado | 8/1 |
| 14 | 11 | Potente | Bob Baffert / Juan Hernandez | 20/1 |
| 15 | 12 | Emerging Market | Chad Brown / Flavien Prat | 15/1 |
| 16 | 13 | Pavlovian | Doug O'Neill / Edwin Maldonado | 30/1 |
| 17 | 14 | Six Speed | Bhupat Seemar / Brian Hernandez, Jr. | 50/1 |
| 18 | 15 | Further Ado | Brian Lynch / John Velazquez | 6/1 |
| 19 | 16 | Golden Tempo | Cherie DeVaux / Jose Ortiz | 30/1 |
| 21 | 17 | Great White | John Ennis / Alex Achard | 50/1 |
| 22 | 18 | Ocelli | D. Whitworth Beckman / Tyler Gaffalione | 50/1 |
| 23 | 19 | Robusta | Doug O'Neill / Cristian Torres | 50/1 |
Learn more about how the post-draw affects the race with our post-position guide.
Kentucky Derby event schedule
Here's what the event calendar looked like in 2026. Expect a similar approach in 2027.
Kentucky Derby week calendar
- Opening Day (Saturday, April 25): Post-position draws for the Derby & Oaks.
- Sunday Funday (Sunday, April 26): Sunday racing at Churchill Downs for the first time since 2010.
- Dawn at the Downs (Monday, April 27): Watch Kentucky Oaks & Derby contenders do their first morning workouts.
- 502'sDay (Tuesday, April 28): The fourth year of shining a spotlight on the community and local culture.
- Winsday (Wednesday, April 29): Celebrating (and aiding) local community nonprofts.
- Thurby (Thursday, April 30): Churchill Downs transforms into a display of Louisville's heritage and past.
- Kentucky Oaks (Friday, May 1): America's premier race for 3-year-old fillies, with the main race at 8:40 p.m. ET
- Kentucky Derby (Saturday, May 2): "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports" takes place at 6:57 p.m. ET
Kentucky Derby day calendar
| Event | Time (ET) | TV/Stream |
|---|---|---|
| Gates open | 9:00 a.m. | N/A |
| First post (Race 1) | 11:00 a.m. | FanDuel TV |
| Early undercard races | 12:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. | NBC Sports/Peacock |
| Main broadcast starts | 2:30 p.m. | NBC/Peacock |
| 152nd Kentucky Derby | 6:57 p.m. | NBC/Peacock |
| Final races | 7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. | FanDuel TV |
Printable Kentucky Derby odds
Want to keep track of your Kentucky Derby predictions — or looking to host a Kentucky Derby betting pool? Use our printable Kentucky Derby odds sheet to keep track of all your wagers!
Kentucky Derby for beginners
For many bettors, the first horse racing wager they'll make happens at the Kentucky Derby. And making that first horse racing bet can be confusing. From win-place-show bets to trifectas and superfectas, our how-to bet on the Kentucky Derby guide tells you what you need to know before making a bet. And don't forget to check out our guide on pari-mutuel betting before you lay down your first wager.
How to watch
Television coverage of the Kentucky Derby will begin at 12 and run until 2:30 pm ET on NBCSN, and then switch to NBC from 2:30 to 7:30 pm ET.
The Kentucky Derby can be streamed on Peacock and the NBC Sports app. FanDuel TV will also have coverage of select races.
History
With a history dating back to 1872, the Kentucky Derby has one of the richest traditions of any sporting event in the United States. From mint juleps and grandiose hats to "My Old Kentucky Home" and, of course, betting, "The Run for the Roses" is the pinnacle event of American horse racing.
152 years and counting
Although the first race wasn't held until 1875, the idea for the event began three years earlier when Meriwether Lewis Clark traveled to Europe and was inspired by the Epsom Derby and the French Jockey Club. Upon his return, he organized a local club of horse racing fans to form the Louisville Jockey Club. Lewis also convinced his uncles, John, and Henry Churchill, to gift him the land needed to build the racetrack.
The first race was held on May 17, 1985, when the Louisville Jockey Club opened its doors and held the inaugural Kentucky Derby. Fifteen horses ran in front of around 10,000 fans that day, with Aristides pulling away and becoming the first Kentucky Derby champion. Eight years later, in 1883, the racetrack was officially named Churchill Downs.
Churchill Downs
The Kentucky Derby runs yearly at the famed Churchill Downs track in Louisville. It opened in 1875 and has grown into one of the most famous race tracks in the world, being designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1986. With the infield open, the current capacity of Churchill Downs is almost 170,000.
Hats
The tradition of those fancy Kentucky Derby hats you see each year dates back about as long as the race itself and is rooted in Clark's vision for the event. In the late 1800s, dressing up for races was the norm in Europe but not in the USA. Clark wanted the race to be a high-class event more like the Epsom Derby than the typical American horse races of the time, so, per KentuckyDerby.com, "he used high-class women to recruit his target clientele to attend the race. The event quickly became just as much about the fashion as the racing."
Mint juleps
The mint julep came later but has been the traditional Kentucky Derby beverage for nearly 100 years. The drink was first introduced to the racetrack in 1938 and has grown to the point where almost 120,000 mint juleps are served over the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby weekend.
Where can I bet on the Kentucky Derby?
While horse racing is legal in almost every jurisdiction, some sportsbooks do not post Derby odds. You can bet on the Kentucky Derby through legal horse racing betting sites like FanDuel Racing, which operates in most U.S. states. The platform is available even in states where traditional online sports betting isn’t legal. Major sportsbooks, including FanDuel, also offer Derby odds in states where racing and sports betting overlap.
Take a look at the best Kentucky Derby betting sites available in your area.
Kentucky Derby betting resources
- Kentucky Derby win, place, and show picks
- Kentucky Derby exacta, trifecta, and superfecta picks
- Kentucky Derby odds
- Kentucky Derby horses
- Kentucky Derby post positions
- How to bet on the Kentucky Derby
- Where to bet on the Kentucky Derby
- Best Kentucky Derby betting sites
Kentucky Derby FAQs
The 2026 Kentucky Derby runs on Saturday, May 2, 2026.
The Kentucky Derby will run at approximately 7 pm ET on May 2, 2026.
The Kentucky Derby takes place at Churchill Downs, a racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
General admissions tickets for the Kentucky Derby range from into the thousands of dollars depending on when you purchase them.
