2026 Kentucky Derby horses: Here are the names, posts and jockeys for this year
A new group of star horses is about to be introduced at the Kentucky Derby.
Twenty of the world’s fastest thoroughbreds will compete at Churchill Downs this year in the first leg of the Triple Crown.
The stable of 3-year-olds includes a few favorites, several longshots and a bunch of interesting backstories. Like any year, there are plenty of creative names associated with the horses.
Here’s a look at the field for the 2026 Kentucky Derby:
How many horses are in the Kentucky Derby?
There are 20 post positions available for the Kentucky Derby each year, plus four alternates in the event of withdrawals. As of Wednesday, the one horse has been scratched with three alternates still waiting to enter in the event of more scratches.
List of the Kentucky Derby horses in 2026
The group of 20 horses in the field, along with their program numbers, is as follows:
- No. 1 Renegade
- No. 2 Albus
- No. 3 Intrepido
- No. 4 Litmus Test
- No. 5 Right to Party
- No. 6 Commandment
- No. 7 Danon Bourbon
- No. 8 So Happy
- No. 9 The Puma
- No. 10 Wonder Dean
- No. 11 Incredibolt
- No. 12 Chief Wallabee
- No. 14 Potente
- No. 15 Emerging Market
- No. 16 Pavlovian
- No. 17 Six Speed
- No. 18 Further Ado
- No. 19 Golden Tempo
- No. 21 Great White
- No. 22 Ocelli
Every year, the initial field is fluid. Things can change, including last-minute injuries or illnesses that can force a horse to withdraw from the race. No. 13 Silent Tactic was scratched Wednesday with a bruised foot and No. 20 Fulleffort was scratched Thursday with a bone chip. The replacements will be No. 21 Great White and No. 22 Ocelli. If any other horse is removed before Friday at 9 a.m., the replacements would include Robusta and Corona de Oro.
2026 Kentucky Derby odds and post positions
Here’s a look at the post positions, horse names, jockeys, trainers and current odds (as of Thursday):
| Post position | Horse name | Jockey | Trainer | Odds to win |
| 1. | Renegade | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Todd Pletcher | 5-1 |
| 2. | Albus | Manny Franco | Riley Mott | 50-1 |
| 3. | Intrepido | Hector Barrios | Jeff Mullins | 60-1 |
| 4. | Litmus Test | Martin Garcia | Bob Baffert | 36-1 |
| 5. | Right to Party | Chris Elliott | Kenny McPeek | 28-1 |
| 6. | Commandment | Luis Saez | Brad Cox | 7-1 |
| 7. | Danon Bourbon | Atsuya Nishimura | Manabu Ikezoe | 14-1 |
| 8. | So Happy | Mike Smith | Mark Glatt | 6-1 |
| 9. | The Puma | Javier Castellano | Gustavo Delgado | 7-1 |
| 10. | Wonder Dean | Ryusei Sakai | Daisuke Takayanagi | 19-1 |
| 11. | Incredibolt | Jamie Torres | Riley Mott | 30-1 |
| 12. | Chief Wallabee | Junior Alvarado | Bill Mott | 11-1 |
| 14. | Potente | Juan Hernandez | Bob Baffert | 25-1 |
| 15. | Emerging Market | Flavien Prat | Chad Brown | 12-1 |
| 16. | Pavlovian | Edwin Maldonado | Doug O’Neill | 49-1 |
| 17. | Six Speed | Brian Hernandez Jr. | Bhupat Seemar | 41-1 |
| 18. | Further Ado | John Velazquez | Brad Cox | 6-1 |
| 19. | Golden Tempo | Jose Ortiz | Cherie DeVaux | 40-1 |
| 21. | Great White | Alex Achard | John Ennis | 35-1 |
| 22. | Ocelli | Joseph D. Ramos | D. Whitworth Beckman | 99-1 |
Who is the favorite to win the Kentucky Derby in 2026?
Renegade has the shortest odds to win the Kentucky Derby this year at 5-1 (as of Thursday).
Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher has two previous Derby wins (Super Saver in 2010 and Always Dreaming in 2017), while jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. is winless at the Derby but has two Belmont victories.
Renegade is a 3-year-old colt who has won its first two races of the season, first at the Sam F. Davis Stakes and then the Arkansas Derby. Ortiz has been his jockey for four of his five races since last August, including two wins, a second and third.
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