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Renegade Favored for 152nd Kentucky Derby May 2

4/27/2026

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Summary

Renegade Leads Derby

The 152nd Kentucky Derby will be at Churchill Downs on May 2, 2026, with Renegade (trainer Todd Pletcher, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.) as the favorite.
The race recorded a $349 million handle last year and saw each winner rest 35 days, a gap Renegade and Commandment share.
Renegade, Commandment and Right to Party draw posts 1, 6, 5 at 4-1, 6-1, 50-1 odds.
Demling backs Renegade and flags Fulleffort at 20-1.
Yu backs The Puma at 10-1 and drops Commandment.

Summary

Baffert Suspended

The 2026 Kentucky Derby purse stays at $5 million, matching the record payouts of 2024 and 2025.
The winner will receive $3.1 million, second place $1 million, third $500,000, fourth $250,000 and fifth $150,000.
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert’s suspension from Churchill Downs has been extended through 2024, barring him from this year’s Derby.

History

Historical Context

Secretariat’s 1973 Kentucky Derby win at Churchill Downs set a new sub-two-minute record before a crowd of 134,476, establishing unprecedented betting and purse growth. That breakthrough paved the way for today’s 152nd Derby, where trainer Todd Pletcher fields Renegade as the favorite, reflecting the race’s lasting economic, national and regulatory media prominence.

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Renegade Leads Derby

The 152nd Kentucky Derby will be at Churchill Downs on May 2, 2026, with Renegade (trainer Todd Pletcher, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.) as the favorite.
The race recorded a $349 million handle last year and saw each winner rest 35 days, a gap Renegade and Commandment share.
Renegade, Commandment and Right to Party draw posts 1, 6, 5 at 4-1, 6-1, 50-1 odds.
Demling backs Renegade and flags Fulleffort at 20-1.
Yu backs The Puma at 10-1 and drops Commandment.

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