Renegade, the 4-1 favorite for the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby, will start in the first post position for the May 2 race that will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.
The Todd Pletcher-trained horse drew the rail, the first spot closest to the infield, on the second pull of the random draw conducted Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.
Among the next two favored horses in the current odds, Commandment (6-1) drew the sixth post position, and Further Ado (which is listed at 6-1 and recently won the Bluegrass Stakes) will start from No. 18.
It’s been eight years since the favorite won the Kentucky Derby. Justify was the last favorite to win the Run for the Roses in 2018, which capped a string of six consecutive years in which the favorite won the race.
There have been four scratches from the 19-horse field.
On April 29, Silent Tactic was scratched with a foot injury and replaced by Great White in the 20-horse field. On April 30, Fulleffort also was sideliend by a foot injury and replaced by Ocelli. Robusta entered the field on May 1 in place of Right to Party.
Hours before the race on May 2, The Puma was scratched because of swelling in his leg due to a skin infection.
With no replacement, that dropped the size of the field from 20 to 19 horses. This will mark the sixth time in the past eight years that the Kentucky Derby will have fewer than a full field of 20 horses on the starting gate.
Here’s what you need to know about the post position draw for the 152nd Kentucky Derby:
Full list of horses in starting gate order of post positions with odds
1. Renegade (4-1)
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
Jockey: Irad Ortiz Jr.
Owner: Mike Repole and Robert and Lawana Low
2. Albus (30-1)
Trainer: Riley Mott
Jockey: Manny Franco
Owner: Pin Oak Stud
3. Intrepido (50-1)
Trainer: Jeff Mullins
Jockey: Hector Berrios
Owner: Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures
4. Litmus Test (30-1)
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: TBD
Owner: SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables
Right to Party (30-1) **SCRATCHED**
Trainer: Kenny McPeek
Jockey: Chris Elliott
Owner: Chester Broman
5. Commandment (6-1)
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Luis Saez
Owner: Wathnan Racing
6. Danon Bourbon (20-1)
Trainer: Manabu Ikezoe
Jockey: Atsuya Nishimura
Owner: Danox Co.
7. So Happy (15-1)
Trainer: Mark Glatt
Jockey: Mike Smith
Owner: Norman Stables and Saints Or Sinners
The Puma (10-1) **SCRATCHED**
Trainer: Gustavo Delgado
Jockey: Javier Castellano
Owner: Ogma Investments, RJ Ranch, High Step Racing
8. Wonder Dean (30-1)
Trainer: Daisuke Takayanagi
Jockey: Ryusei Sakai
Owner: Yoshinari Yamamoto
9. Incredibolt (20-1)
Trainer: Riley Mott
Jockey: Jaime Torres
Owner: Pin Oak Stud
10. Chief Wallabee (8-1)
Trainer: Bill Mott
Jockey: Junior Alvarado
Owner: Mike and Katherine Ball
Silent Tactic (20-1) **SCRATCHED**
Trainer: Mark Casse
Jockey: Cristian Torres
Owner: John Oxley
11. Potente (20-1)
Trainer :Bob Baffert
Jockey: Juan Hernandez
Owner: Speedway Stables
12. Emerging Market (15-1)
Trainer: Chad Brown
Jockey: Flavien Prat
Owner: Klaravich Stables
13. Pavlovian (30-1)
Trainer: Doug O’Neill
Jockey: Edwin Maldonado
Owner: Reddam Racing
14. Six Speed (50-1)
Trainer: Bhupat Seemar
Jockey: TBD
Owner: Brunetti Dugan Stables, Black Type Thoroughbreds, Steve Adkisson, Swinbank Stables
15. Further Ado (6-1)
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: John Velazquez
Owner: Spendthrift Farm
16. Golden Tempo (30-1)
Trainer: Cherie Devaux
Jockey: Jose Ortiz
Owner: Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable
Fulleffort (20-1) **SCRATCHED**
Trainer: Brad Cox
Jockey: Tyler Gaffalione
Owner: St. Elias Stable and Starlight Racing
17. Great White (50-1)
Trainer: John Ennis
Jockey: Alex Achard
Owner: Three Chimneys Farm and Ennis, John
18. Ocelli (50-1)
Trainer: D. Whitworth Beckman
Jockey: Joe Ramos
Owner: Ashley Durr, Anthony Tate & Front Page Equestrian
19. Robusta (50-1)
Trainer: Doug F. O’Neill
Jockey: Cristian Torres
Owner: Calumet Farm
| Post | Horse (odds) | Trainer | Jockey | Owner |
| 1. | Renegade (4-1) | Todd Pletcher | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Mike Repole and Robert and Lawana Low |
| 2. | Albus (30-1) | Riley Mott | Manny Franco | Pin Oak Stud |
| 3. | Intrepido (50-1) | Jeff Mullins | Hector Berrios | Dutch Girl Holdings and Irving Ventures |
| 4. | Litmus Test (30-1) | Bob Baffert | TBD | SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables |
| SCR | Right to Party (30-1) | Kenny McPeek | Chris Elliott | Chester Broman |
| 5. | Commandment (6-1) | Brad Cox | Luis Saez | Wathnan Racing |
| 6. | Danon Bourbon (20-1) | Manabu Ikezoe | Atsuya Nishimura | Danox Co. |
| 7. | So Happy (15-1) | Mark Glatt | Mike Smith | Norman Stables and Saints Or Sinners |
| SCR | The Puma (10-1) | Gustavo Delgado | Javier Castellano | Ogma Investments, RJ Ranch, High Step Racing |
| 8. | Wonder Dean (30-1) | Daisuke Takayanagi | Ryusei Sakai | Yoshinari Yamamoto |
| 9. | Incredibolt (20-1) | Riley Mott | Jaime Torres | Pin Oak Stud |
| 10. | Chief Wallabee (8-1) | Bill Mott | Junior Alvarado | Mike and Katherine Ball |
| SCR | Silent Tactic (20-1) | Mark Casse | Cristian Torres | John Oxley |
| 11. | Potente (20-1) | Bob Baffert | Juan Hernandez | Speedway Stables |
| 12. | Emerging Market (15-1) | Chad Brown | Flavien Prat | Klaravich Stables |
| 13. | Pavlovian (30-1) | Doug O’Neill | Edwin Maldonado | Reddam Racing |
| 14. | Six Speed (50-1) | Bhupat Seemar | Brian Hernandez Jr. | Brunetti Dugan Stables, Black Type Thoroughbreds, Steve Adkisson, Swinbank Stables |
| 15. | Further Ado (6-1) | Brad Cox | John Velazquez | Spendthrift Farm |
| 16. | Golden Tempo (30-1) | Cherie Devaux | Jose Ortiz | Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable |
| SCR | Fulleffort (20-1) | Brad Cox | Tyler Gaffalione | St. Elias Stable and Starlight Racing |
| 17. | Great White (50-1) | John Ennis | Alex Achard | Three Chimneys Farm and Ennis, John |
| 18. | Ocelli (50-1) | D. Whitworth Beckman | Tyler Gaffalione | Ashley Durr, Anthony Tate & Front Page Equestrian |
| 19. | Robusta (50-1) | Doug F. O’Neill | Cristian Torres | Calumet Farm |
What are the Kentucky Derby post positions?
A random draw for the post positions determines which starting gate that a horse gets for starting the Run for the Roses. There are a maximum of 20 gates.
Which post positions are best in the Kentucky Derby?
The middle gates generally are considered the best places to start the race, but a strong horse with a good jockey can win from anywhere. The No. 5 post has produced the most winners (10) in the Kentucky Derby, followed by Post 10 with nine winners.
There have been five winners from the No. 1 post, most recently Ferdinand in 1986. Last year, Sovereignty won from the 16th post, and Mystik Dan won from the third starting gate in 2024.
In the race’s long history, Kentucky Derby winners have won from every post position except one — No. 17.
How do post positions impact the race?
Depending on which starting gate a horse is assigned, the impact can influence the odds of winning. The strategies employed by jockeys can also depend on each horse’s starting gate.
How to Watch the 2026 Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks
Watch the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 2, starting at noon ET on and Peacock and NBCSN and then continuing at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
Coverage of the Kentucky Oaks will begin with the day show on Friday, May 1, at 4 p.m. ET on Peacock and NBCSN, continuing with the 152nd Kentucky Oaks in primetime for the first time at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
