Todd A. Pletcher is looking for his third Kentucky Derby win, and first since 2017, when Renegade enters the gate for the 2026 Kentucky Derby. Renegade is the 4-1 favorite in the 152nd “Run for the Roses” at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. Saturday’s post time is set for 6:57 p.m. ET. Pletcher, who has over 5,700 career wins, also won the Derby in 2010. Bet the Kentucky Derby with the exclusive TwinSpires offer code CBSSPORTS to receive up to $400 in bonus bets here, double what’s available to the general public:Besides Renegade, other race favorites include Further Ado (6-1) and Commandment (6-1). Chief Wallabee comes back at 8-1, while The Puma is at 10-1, and So Happy and Emerging Market at 15-1. Fulleffort is no longer in the field after being scratched, and he’s being replaced by Ocelli (50-1). Before making any 2026 Kentucky Derby picks, be sure to see the 2026 Kentucky Derby predictions and best bets from SportsLine’s elite horse racing expert Gene Menez.A former reporter and editor at Sports Illustrated, Menez covered an array of sports, including horse racing, for the magazine and its website for almost 14 years. Between 2010 and 2012, he served as SI’s handicapper for the Triple Crown races and correctly predicted Super Saver to win the Kentucky Derby in 2010.In 2015, while writing for Sports on Earth, Menez accurately gave out the Kentucky Derby superfecta (American Pharoah, Firing Line, Dortmund and Frosted), which paid $1,268.20 for $2. Then in 2017, he tweeted out his Kentucky Derby picks, including Always Dreaming to win, and hit the Pick 4, which paid almost $6,900 on a $1 bet. In 2024, Menez gave out 18-1 Mystik Dan as a live longshot in the Kentucky Derby.
Menez excels on horse racing’s biggest days. In 2024 he crushed the late Pick 4 on Breeders’ Cup Saturday for a $5,303 windfall. Last year he nailed the winner, trifecta and superfecta in the Florida Derby for a $529.60 score and the winner and trifecta in the Blue Grass Stakes for a $761.96 jackpot. He hit the late Pick 4 on Kentucky Oaks day for $915.48. In the Kentucky Derby, he hammered the exacta and trifecta for a $1,045 payout. And earlier this year, on Fountain of Youth day, he struck big, hitting the late Pick 5 for $4,648.Last year Menez put his handicapping skills up against the best horseplayers and finished 115th out of 643 entries in the Breeders’ Cup Betting Challenge, the…
Try WordAi Free
2026-04-30 18:58:40
