With the final Kentucky Derby prep race wrapped up, we now know the 20 horses at the top of the leaderboard for the 2026 “Run for the Roses”. We don’t need to wait until post positions are announced on April 25 to dive into Kentucky Derby bettingat Ozoon. The horse racing odds have already hit the racebook, and we’re previewing the top six thoroughbreds for May 2.
Renegade +350
Son of Into Mischief, Renegade has had three starts since breaking his maiden last October, and all three have been impressive. He finished second at the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes in December, crossing the finish line 2 lengths behind Paladin, who would have been a top Kentucky Derby contender had he not suffered an ankle injury.
Renegade got his first victory in 2026 when he won the Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs by 3 ¾ lengths. He followed that with an even more impressive 4-length victory at the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby where he stayed back until the final stretch when he came up on the outside and passed the pack with ease, reaching a Beyer Speed Figure of 98 in the process.
In all of his starts he’s had an effective closing style that should suit the Kentucky Derby. His 5X Eclipse Award-winning jockey, Irad Ortiz Jr., who has won two Kentucky Derbies before, has committed to the favourite over his other option, Further Ado. Renegade’s sire never placed worse than second in his six-race career.
Commandment +600
Second on the odds board, Commandment has been on fire since breaking his maiden at Churchill Downs last November. This is another son of Into Mischief, and he has taken a different path than his brother on the road to the Kentucky Derby.
His first race of 2026 was the Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park. He beat a seven-horse field by five lengths with fairly soft competition. He returned to Gulfstream for his next race, the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes, and passed the pack in the homestretch for the victory. He clocked his fastest speed there—a 101 Beyer Figure that is second-best in this crop of 3-year-old colts and fillies.
With pressure mounting, Commandment started at the Grade 1 Florida Derby a month later. Jockey Flavien Prat was on board and held him back for most of the race until letting loose in the homestretch, where he won by a nose in a field that included two Kentucky Derby contenders (The Puma, Chief Wallabee).
You can’t go wrong with a Brad Cox-trained thoroughbred, especially one with Commandment’s track record.
Further Ado +650
Another Brad Cox trainee, Further Ado’s team had to find a new jockey when Ortiz chose to ride Renegade instead for the Kentucky Derby. They signed on Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez, who has won the Kentucky Derby three times so far in his storied career.
This son of the 2017-Breeders’ Cup winner, Gun Runner, has experience at Churchill Downs. At the end of November, he won the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club on a fast track. Since then, he placed second at the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby, finishing ¾ length behind Kentucky Derby contender, The Puma.
Further Ado showed incredible speed in his next outing at the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes on April 4. Breaking from Post 5, he took a stalking position for most of the race and surged to the front in the stretch, clocking the fastest Beyer (106) of all the 3-year-olds. He claimed victory 11 lengths ahead of second-place finisher, Ottinho.
The Puma +1200
This Gustavo Delgado trainee has three starts under his belt, and all are top-three finishes. His first outing was the Sam Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs—the same race Renegade won. With Edwin Gonzalez on board, The Puma showed that he could handle the distance and finished third in the nine-horse field.
Delgado took a bit of a gamble entering the chestnut colt into a graded stakes race a month later with no victories to his name. The Puma showed greater speed at the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby and won, beating second-place finisher, Further Ado, by ¾ lengths.
Three weeks later, The Puma returned to Gulfstream Park, where he had his maiden race, to compete in the Grade 1 Florida Derby. The son of Essential Quality showed even better speed and managed a second-place finish in a competitive six-horse field; he finished a nose behind Commandment.
Essential Quality won the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes after finishing third at the Kentucky Derby in 2021.
Chief Wallabee +1400
One of Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott’s two Kentucky Derby entries this year, Chief Wallabee is a bit of a wild card with just two races under his belt (not including his maiden race, which he won on first try in January). This Kentucky-bred bay colt finished second at the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream on February 28, finishing just a neck behind Commandment.
A month later, Chief Wallabee stretched out to 1 1/8-miles with tougher company at the Grade 1 Florida Derby. He duelled with Commandment again, pushing in the stretch from off the pace, but ultimately settled for third, just a ½ length behind The Puma, who was a nose behind Commandment.
Chief Wallabee is a son of the Donn Handicap and Florida Derby-winning sire, Constitution. Mott and Junior Alvarado, Chief Wallabee’s trainer and jockey duo, won last year’s Kentucky Derby in a wild upset with Sovereignty. They’d be looking for their first repeat as back-to-back winners.
Emerging Market +1600
Another wild card option is Emerging Market, a Chad Brown trainee. This son of Candy Ride broke his maiden on first try in a field of nine at Tampa Bay Downs on February 7. Five weeks later, he started at the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds. This 1 3/16-mile race on dirt had Pavlovian, who was hot off a win at the Sunland Derby, in the nine-horse field. With Flavien Prat on board, Emerging Market came from the back to duel Pavlovian in the homestretch, winning by a head.
Candy Ride won all six of his career starts, including the Grade 2 American Handicap and the Grade 1 Pacific Classic Stakes. Bet on these horses and more in the Kentucky Derby/Oaks Futures section of our racebook. More betting markets will emerge as we approach May 2 at Churchill Downs.
