2026 Kentucky Derby guide: Post time, odds, and experts’ pick for the Run for the Roses

The 152nd Kentucky Derby (2026) is set for 6:57 p.m. ET post time today, Saturday, May 2. Trainer Brad Cox is seeking his second official win with two top contenders, while analyst Michelle Yu is shaking up the odds board with her latest predictions. Cox will send Further Ado and Commandment to the starting gate as two of the morning-line favorites.

Both are listed at 6-1 odds. Cox’s only previous Derby win was with Mandaloun (2021), awarded after Median Spirit was disqualified. 

A win today would be his first time celebrating in the winner’s circle on race day. Both Cox horses trail the morning-line favorite Renegade, who is currently listed at 4-1 but faces the difficult No. 1 rail post. Yu is avoiding Commandment (6-1). 

Despite his Florida Derby win, she notes his winning margins have diminished as races get longer, suggesting a lack of stamina for the 1 ¼-mile Derby distance.

Yu is high on The Puma (10-1) as she cites the successful pairing of jockey Javier Castellano and trainer Gustavo Delgado as a primary reason for optimism. 

She highlights that The Puma won the Tampa Bay Derby and was narrowly edged out by Commandment in the Florida Derby, showing more consistent growth than the favorites. His best races put him right in the mix, and these connections have won a Derby before,” Yu told SportsLine. “He did everything but win the Florida Derby when Commandment nosed him out, but he has been super consistent.”

Michelle Yu has a history of major hits, including identifying Medina Spirit (12-1) in 2021 and the Rich Strike (80-1) outcome through the “All Other 3-Year-Olds” wager. In early 2026, she successfully predicted the trifecta in the Arkansas Derby involving Renegade, Silent Tactic, and Taptastic.