The horses and the post positions are set, so the 152nd Kentucky Derby can officially get underway. On Saturday, 20 horses will take the track looking to etch their names into the record books.

Renegade enters the event as the favorite, and coincidentally was selected in the first post position for the race. That’s a strong starting spot, as horses in the first post have eight wins at the Derby.

But the favorite hasn’t picked up a win in the event in recent years, just ask Journalism, which entered the 2025 Kentucky Derby as the favorite and finished second to Sovereignty. Can Renegade overcome the other competitors?

Here's everything you need to know about the 2026 Kentucky Derby ahead of the race.

When is the 2026 Kentucky Derby?

The 2026 Kentucky Derby will take place Saturday, May 2. The race has traditionally taken place the first Saturday in May, though it didn't start that way. From 1875-1931, the race usually occurred in the middle of the month. That changed in 1932, when the event started being held the first Saturday in May.

That schedule has remained consistent since 1932, though did change as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The Derby was scheduled for the first Saturday in May originally, but had to be moved to Sept. 5 due to the pandemic. 

Kentucky Derby 2026 start time

Coverage of the Kentucky Derby is essentially an all-day event. But if you only want to tune in for the actual race, that is slated to occur at 6:57 p.m. ET. That time is not exact, and will depend on a number of factors, including how quickly the horses get into their post positions.

Where is the Kentucky Derby in 2026?

The Kentucky Derby is always held at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race has been held at the track since its inception. Churchill Downs is named after John and Henry Churchill, who leased the land for the racetrack. 

The track is currently operated by Churchill Downs Incorporated.

Kentucky Derby 2026 field, post positions and odds

Below is the field, post positions and odds for each horse in the 2026 Kentucky Derby. The favorite, Renegade, holds the No. 1 post position. Fulleffort sits in the No. 20 post.

1. Renegade (4-1)

2. Albus (30-1)

3. Intrepido (50-1)

4. Litmus Test (30-1)

5. Right to Party (30-1)

6. Commandment (6-1)

7. Danon Bourbon (20-1)

8. So Happy (15-1)

9. The Puma (10-1)

10. Wonder Dean (30-1)

11. Incredibolt (20-1)

12. Chief Wallabee (8-1)

13. Silent Tactic (20-1)

14. Potente (20-1)

15. Emerging Market (15-1)

16. Pavlovian (30-1)

17. Six Speed (50-1)

18. Further Ado (6-1)

19. Golden Tempo (30-1)

20. Fulleffort (20-1)

Kentucky Derby 2026 weather updates

The weather shouldn’t play a significant role in the 2026 Kentucky Derby. It’s supposed to be partly cloudy in Louisville on Saturday, with a high of 62. The chance of rain is pretty small on the actual day of the race. It could rain in the city Wednesday, and there’s a slight chance for rain Friday, which should bear monitoring. But on the actual race day, the weather forecast looks pretty clear.

Kentucky Derby 2026 payout, purse

The winner of the 2026 Kentucky Derby will receive roughly $3.1 million. That's what 2024 winner Sovereignty won last year.

In total, the event has a purse of $5 million. The horse that finishes in second place will win roughly $1 million.

The total purse at the event used to be about $3 million, but that changed in 2024, when it shot up to $5 million total.

Michael Reaves via Getty Images

Does Bob Baffert have a horse in the 2026 Kentucky Derby?

Controversial trainer Bob Baffert — who has a lengthy history of his horses failing drug tests — has two horses in the 2026 Kentucky Derby. He trained both Potente and Litmus Test.

Baffert returned to the event last year after a three-year ban from the race after his 2021 winner Medina Spirit tested positive for a banned steroid.

Medina Spirit was stripped of its win following a second positive test, leading to Baffert's suspension. Mandaloun was named the winner of the 2021 Kentucky Derby.

It’s a big race for Baffert, who would claim the record with his seventh Kentucky Derby victory if either Potente or Litmus Test is victorious. Baffert is currently tied with Ben Jones. Each man has trained six horses which have won the Kentucky Derby.

How to watch the 2026 Kentucky Derby

While the race won't begin until 6:57 p.m. ET, coverage of the Kentucky Derby will begin at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Peacock and NBCSN will stream the undercard and have even earlier coverage at noon ET.

This year will mark the 26th time the Kentucky Derby has aired on NBC.

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James isn’t going to sugarcoat it, he played a significant role in the team getting blown out by the Houston Rockets in Game 4 on Sunday. James shouldered the blame for the loss after the game, saying the Lakers’ struggles “started with me, obviously.”

It was an extremely muted performance for James, who scored 10 points on 2-of-9 shooting in the 115-96 loss. His struggles from the field were one thing, but his game-leading eight turnovers were what stuck with James following the game. "My turnovers were unacceptable,” he told ESPN.

It was a frustrating performance for most members of the Lakers, who were without both Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves in the loss. James wasn’t the only member of the team who struggled, with both Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard going 3-of-8 from the field.

The one Lakers player who stepped up in the contest didn’t make it to the fourth quarter. Center Deandre put up 19 points before he was ejected in the third quarter after elbowing Alperen Şengün in the head. After the contest, members of the Lakers and Şengün said they didn’t think Ayton should have been ejected for his actions.

With the loss, the Lakers still lead the series 3-1. Prior to Game 4, Houston has struggled without Kevin Durant, who has missed three of the four games in the series due to two different injuries.

Durant’s return would certainly help lift the Rockets moving forward, but pulling off a comeback could be tough. No team has ever rallied back from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series in the NBA.

If the Lakers want to keep it that way, the team will need to find a way to pick up the pieces and pull out one more win. Their next opportunity to close out the series will take place Wednesday, when both teams take the court for Game 5.

A word of warning to all broadcasters: If you’re wearing a microphone, don’t risk saying anything that you wouldn’t repeat in front of millions. You never know when that microphone is still on.

Former Alabama coach-turned-analyst Nick Saban learned that the hard way during the first-round of the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday. As ABC returned from a commercial break, Saban was caught on a hot mic trashing the Dallas Cowboys’ upcoming selection in the draft.

Just before NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced the Cowboys’ selection of edge rusher Malachi Lawrence with the No. 23 overall pick, Saban could be heard saying, “Wow, this is a reach” on the broadcast.

The comment came at an awkward time. The broadcast had just come back from a commercial break, but had not officially welcomed back viewers yet. Saban almost certainly believed his mic was muted or that the program had not come back from break yet when he made that comment. After a few beats of silence, Rece Davis re-introduced the program to viewers.

To Saban’s credit, he didn’t completely walk back that criticism when breaking down the pick on the broadcast, per Awful Announcing.

“Actually, this guy was one of my sleepers for tomorrow,” Saban admitted, which garnered some laughter from the rest of the panel. “But he is a good player … this guy is a good player. I thought he was someone that was getting overlooked in the draft, but obviously the Cowboys didn’t overlook him.”

There’s a difference between bluntly calling a pick a “reach” and saying a team drafted a player you liked in the second round, but at least Saban didn’t lie about his true feelings. Instead, he found a way to make them sound less severe while still getting across the point that he believed Lawrence should have been selected later.

Saban’s critique of the Cowboys on Thursday was only limited to the Lawrence pick. He, like many others, was a big fan of the team trading up to select safety Caleb Downs with the No. 11 overall pick. Some considered Downs to be the best player in the entire draft. Yahoo Sports gave the Downs pick an “A+,” citing his ability to develop into an All-Pro safety moving forward.

The Lawrence pick, on the other hand, received a “C-” grade from Yahoo Sports analyst Charles McDonald. While Lawrence has clear ability as a pass rusher, he could have a lower floor than most first-round picks, leading to his “C-” grade.

Even if the Lawrence move wasn’t celebrated by every analyst, the Cowboys look to have done a solid job overall Thursday. In addition to grabbing Downs, the team traded down for more draft picks before selecting Lawrence.

All of those moves put together make the Cowboys one of the winners from Thursday. It also sets the team up to continue to make big moves Friday and Saturday, especially now that they have some extra picks.