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Renegade Leads 2026 Derby, First Post-1 Winner Since 1986

4/29/2026

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Summary

Renegade Targets Derby

The 2026 Kentucky Derby will be run at Churchill Downs in Louisville on Saturday, May 2, at 6:57 p.m. ET.
Renegade (4-1), Further Ado (6-1) and Commandment (6-1) lead the 20-horse field, while Silent Tactic (20-1) was scratched on Wednesday and replaced by longshot Great White (50-1).
Renegade draws the inside rail, the first post-1 winner since 1986, and is trained by Todd A. Pletcher.

Summary

**NBC Airs Derby**

NBC and USA Network will broadcast the 152nd Kentucky Derby on May 2, 2026, with a Peacock stream at 1:30 p.m. ET.
The race offers a $5,000,000 purse, paying $3,100,000 winner, $1,000,000 second, $500,000 third, $250,000 fourth, and $150,000 fifth.
Owner John C. Oxley, a 2011 Oklahoma Horse Racing Hall of Fame inductee, and trainer Doug O’Neill, handling Pavlovian, bring Derby victories—Oxley with Monarchos (2001) and O’Neill with I’ll Have Another (2012) and Nyquist (2016).

History

Historical Context

The Kentucky Derby began in 1875 at Churchill Downs, founded by Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr., and grew from modest winnings to a $1 million guaranteed purse in 1996 and $3 million by 2019. After CBS aired the first national broadcast in 1952, NBC now carries the 2026 race on multiple platforms, reflecting a century of expanding media and prize money.

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Renegade Targets Derby

The 2026 Kentucky Derby will be run at Churchill Downs in Louisville on Saturday, May 2, at 6:57 p.m. ET.
Renegade (4-1), Further Ado (6-1) and Commandment (6-1) lead the 20-horse field, while Silent Tactic (20-1) was scratched on Wednesday and replaced by longshot Great White (50-1).
Renegade draws the inside rail, the first post-1 winner since 1986, and is trained by Todd A. Pletcher.

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