The Triple Crown of horse racing is on the horizon with the 2026 Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 2. It will mark the 152nd edition of the Run for the Roses, and 2026 Kentucky Derby qualifiers are already underway. These are the prep races that determine which 20 Kentucky Derby horses will slot into the field at Churchill Downs in the most anticipated horse racing event of the year.
Paladin is the early favorite in the 2026 Kentucky Derby odds at 9-1, though the favorite hasn’t won the event since 2018. Other early potential 2026 Kentucky Derby contenders of note include Nearly at 10-1, Canaletto at 15-1 and Renegade at 16-1. A bet on All Other Three-Year-Olds pays 9-2. Before making any 2026 Kentucky Derby picks, be sure to see the horse racing predictions and futures bets from SportsLine’s elite horse racing expert Jody Demling.
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A fixture in the horse racing world who has been writing about, talking about and betting on races for years, Demling has nailed the Kentucky Oaks-Derby double 12 times in the last 17 years. He also predicted the top three 2025 Kentucky Derby finishers in the correct order and called the exacta in last year’s Preakness. Anyone who has followed him on horse racing betting sites could be way up.
Now, with the 2026 Kentucky Derby approaching and horse racing futures odds on the board, Demling is sharing his 2026 Kentucky Derby betting picks and 2026 Kentucky Derby predictions over at SportsLine. Go here to see them.
Top 2026 Kentucky Derby predictions
One of Demling’s surprising 2026 Kentucky Derby picks: He doesn’t have the favorite, Paladin (9-1), winning. Paladin is undefeated as of late February after winning his first race in October 2025 and sweeping his way through the Remsen Stakes and Risen Stakes, both Grade-2 races.
Demling acknowledges that the son of Gun Runner looks solid at this point, but there’s a long way to go until May. History hasn’t been kind to early Kentucky Derby favorites, and there are several other strong options who are returning more value at this point in February. See who to back at SportsLine.
Another stunner: Demling is high on Canaletto, even though he’s a longshot at 15-1. There’s not a lot of data on Canaletto at this point since he just broke his maiden at Gulfstream Park in January. He is expected to run in the upcoming Fountain of Youth Stakes and potentially in the Tampa Bay Derby in March, so his odds could quickly drop with strong showings.
“A half brother to Sandman, the son of Into Mischief broke his maiden with an impressive win in his debut on Jan. 25,” Demling told SportsLine. “Has the looks of a superstar in the making.” See which other horses to back at SportsLine, and you can make futures bets TwinSpires here:
How to make 2026 Kentucky Derby picks, bets
Demling is especially high on a massive double-digit longshot who could be the best of a “barnful of standouts.” Demling is sharing which horse it is, along with his entire projected 2026 Kentucky Derby leaderboard, over at SportsLine.
Which horse wins the Kentucky Derby 2026, and which huge double-digit longshot is a must-back? Check out the latest 2026 Kentucky Derby odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Demling’s picks for the Kentucky Derby, all from the expert who has nailed 12 Derby-Oaks doubles.
