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Renegade Favored in $5M 2026 Kentucky Derby

5/2/2026

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Summary

Renegade Leads Derby

The 2026 Kentucky Derby will be held at Churchill Downs on Saturday in May with a $5 million purse.
Renegade, trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., opens as the 4-1 favorite in post 1.
Horses earn Derby spots by points from September to mid-April, filling the 20 posts.
Post 5, with ten winners, saw Sovereignty win the 2025 Derby for trainer Bill Mott and jockey Junior Alvarado.

Summary

Renegade Risks Derby

TwinSpires offers promo code CBSSPORTS for $400 in bonus bets while FanDuel Racing gives a $25 bonus for a $5 wager on Derby day.
No fillies entered the 2026 Derby, a 16-year stretch since a filly placed in 2010.
Post 1 has not produced a Derby winner since 1986, making Renegade’s rail draw a historic risk.

History

Historical Context

Since its inaugural run in 1875 at Churchill Downs, the Kentucky Derby has become the Triple Crown’s opening leg, traditionally held the first Saturday in May. Ferdinand’s surprise post-1 victory in 1986 echoed the race’s history of upsets, and today Todd Pletcher’s Renegade draws post 1 for the 2026 Derby, where purses now exceed $3 million.

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Renegade Leads Derby

The 2026 Kentucky Derby will be held at Churchill Downs on Saturday in May with a $5 million purse.
Renegade, trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., opens as the 4-1 favorite in post 1.
Horses earn Derby spots by points from September to mid-April, filling the 20 posts.
Post 5, with ten winners, saw Sovereignty win the 2025 Derby for trainer Bill Mott and jockey Junior Alvarado.

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