Kentucky Derby 2026 Championship Series Prep Race Schedule, Odds And Top Contenders
Summary
The 2026 Kentucky Derby on May 2nd will feature a field determined by a series of 15 key prep races from February to April. These Championship Series events award qualifying points, with the top eight offering 100 points to the winner. The early leader is Paladin, who won the Risen Star Stakes, while other top contenders include Nearly, Napoleon Solo, and Renegade.
Notably, the early favorite, Ted Noffey, is off the trail due to injury. Recent history shows longshots can win, as Mystik Dan, Mage, and Rich Strike have all triumphed since 2022. Current betting favorites at BetOnline are Paladin at +600 and Nearly at +800, though odds will shift with each prep race result.
The Road to the 2026 Kentucky Derby includes 36 qualifying prep races in North America. The biggest events are the Championship Series races offering 50 and 100 points to the winners. Those races will determine the top points earners for the 20-horse field in the 152nd running of the 1 ¼ mile Kentucky Derby on May 2nd at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.
The biggest races draw the most watch and wager action, and BetOnline offers horse racing odds and props for Kentucky Derby betting. Fans who enjoy the Sport of Kings and America’s biggest horse race at the Kentucky Derby make it a priority to watch and wager on the Run for the Roses at Churchill Downs.
Championship Series Races
There are 15 Championship Series stakes races for 3-year-olds from mid-February through early-April. The Risen Star Stakes at the Fair Grounds in Louisiana produced the first winner on Feb. 14 when race favorite Paladin launched a sustained homestretch rally to wear down Chip Honcho by half a length to earn 50 Derby points as the winner and move to the top of the TwinSpires Kentucky Derby Leaderboard.
The top-5 finishers in the the seven races below (*) earn 50-25-15-10-5 Kentucky Derby qualifying points. The eight biggest prep races (#) offer 100-50-25-15-10 points to the top-5 finishers in the race. The winners of all 15 Championship Series races will earn enough points to qualify for the Run for the Roses May 2nd, and runner-ups in the biggest prep races not already qualified will also earn enough points for a spot in the starting gate for the 2026 Kentucky Derby.
| Date | Race | Track | Distance | Points |
| Feb. 14 | Risen Star * | Fair Grounds | 1 1/8 miles | 50-25-15-10-5 |
| Feb. 28 | Fountain of Youth * | Gulfstream | 1 1/16 miles | 50-25-15-10-5 |
| Feb. 28 | Gotham * | Aqueduct | 1 mile | 50-25-15-10-5 |
| March 1 | Rebel * | Oaklawn | 1 1/16 miles | 50-25-15-10-5 |
| March 7 | Tampa Bay Derby * | Tampa Bay Downs | 1 1/16 miles | 50-25-15-10-5 |
| March 7 | San Felipe * | Santa Anita | 1 1/16 miles | 50-25-15-10-5 |
| March 14 | Virginia Derby * | Colonial Downs | 1 1/8 miles | 50-25-15-10-5 |
| March 21 | Jeff Ruby Steaks # | Turfway Park | 1 1/8 miles | 100-50-25-15-10 |
| March 21 | Louisiana Derby # | Fair Grounds | 1 3/16 miles | 100-50-25-15-10 |
| March 28 | Arkansas Derby # | Oaklawn | 1 1/8 miles | 100-50-25-15-10 |
| March 28 | Florida Derby # | Gulfstream | 1 1/8 miles | 100-50-25-15-10 |
| March 28 | UAE Derby, Dubai # | Meydan Racecourse | 1 3/16 miles | 100-50-25-15-10 |
| April 4 | Blue Grass # | Keeneland | 1 1/8 miles | 100-50-25-15-10 |
| April 4 | Santa Anita Derby # | Santa Anita | 1 1/8 miles | 100-50-25-15-10 |
| April 4 | Wood Memorial # | Aqueduct | 1 1/8 miles | 100-50-25-15-10 |
Over the last three years, the No. 20 horse in the Kentucky Derby points standings qualified with 50, 37 and 45 points. The 2025 Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty was No. 7 in the Derby points standings, and he went on to beat the race favorite Journalism in both the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes to capture two of the three Triple Crown races while not running in the Preakness.
Top Early Contenders
The top early Kentucky Derby favorites and contenders profiles are listed, along with odds below. These can change with results from the upcoming Championship Series races.
- Nearly has won 3-straight races including his stakes debut in the Holy Bull last month. He’s flashed big early speed and dynamic wins, all at Gulfstream. His Sire is Not This Time, who retired early at age 2 due to injury after finishing runner-up in the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. Nearly will be one to watch in the Florida Derby.
- Paladin just won the Risen Star Stakes, and he’s a son of the great Hall of Famer Gun Runner, a six-time Grade 1 winner including the Breeders’ Cup Classic and Pegasus World Cup to close his career. Paladin is 3-for-3 with a pair of Grade 2 wins at 9 furlongs (1 ⅛ miles). His final Derby prep will be the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland.
- Napoleon Solo is one of the most brilliant juveniles of the crop. He’s 2-for-2 with a Grade 1 win at Aqueduct last October. Napoleon Solo makes his 2026 debut as a 3-year-old in the Fountain of Youth and then the Florida Derby or potentially the Arkansas Derby. Napoleon Solo has flashed exceptional speed, but distance has to be answered with his sire Liam’s Map just a one-time winner at 1 ⅛ miles and nothing further.
- Silent Tactic just won the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn this month, and he’s coming right back on three-weeks rest to run in the Rebel. Follow his progress against stronger class horses potentially in the Arkansas Derby as well. His sire Tacitus had numerous top finishes without winning in Graded stakes races including 3rd in the 2019 Kentucky Derby and 2nd in the Belmont Stakes.
- Renegade is sired by Into Mischief, who has produced three Kentucky Derby winners since 2020 including last year’s champion Sovereignty. Renegade won the Sam F. Davis stakes this month with strong closing fractions and speed, and he’ll run next in either the Arkansas Derby or Wood Memorial. Note that Renegade also crossed the finish line first in a 1-mile race last October at Aqueduct, catching the front-running Paladin only to be disqualified and placed second.
- Further Ado is another talented son of Gun Runner who won his stakes debut last November at Churchill Downs. He’s been nominated to run in the Fountain of Youth, but likely makes his 2026 debut in the Tampa Bay Derby. Then to the Blue Grass Stakes with a chance to move sharply up the Derby odds board.
- Brant is also a son of Gun Runner who finished 3rd in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile just 1.5 lengths behind winner Ted Noffey. This $3 million yearling purchase had already won a Grade 1 race last year at Del Mar, and he makes his 2026 debut in the Rebel followed by a likely race in the Arkansas Derby as we learn more about his stamina and strength.
- Golden Tempo is a son of the Hall of Famer Curlin. He won the Grade 3 Lecomte in January, and finished a distant 3rd behind Paladin in the Risen Star this month. He’s an off-the-pace closer who will likely be pointed towards the Louisiana Derby in hopes of a top-4 finish to earn his way to Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby.
- Six Speed and Al Haram are two horses to watch outside the United States on the Euro/Middle East Road to the Kentucky Derby. Six Speed has new U.S. owners and has won three straight races including his latest in January in the UAE Two Thousand Guineas. He’ll run next in the UAE Derby in Dubai along with Al Haram, who won the Saudi Derby (G3) this month just in front of U.S.-based Obliteration.
Longshot Kentucky Derby Winners Since 2022
While many of those leading 3-year-old horses take more betting action in the Kentucky Derby Future Wager Pools and closer to the Derby, understand there are annually surprise horses that emerge.
Longshots have won three of the last four Kentucky Derby’s, and even Sovereignty was 8/1 when he won the 2025 Kentucky Derby over race favorite and runner-up, Journalism.
- Mystik Dan (18/1) won the 2024 Kentucky Derby by a nose over Sierra Leone, who was a popular pick and the top points earner on the Derby Trail. Sierra Leone went on to win the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Classic, just as his sire Gun Runner did in 2017.
- Mage (15/1) won the 2023 Kentucky Derby, rallying from 14th at the 3/4 mile marker to win the 1 1/4 mile Derby and pay $32.42 on a $2 win bet. Mage was retired from racing to begin his stallion career in Nov. 2023 after winning just 1-of-6 graded stakes starts.
- In the 2022 Kentucky Derby, I cashed in a 125/1 fixed-odds win bet on Rich Strike. The huge longshot was a late entry a day before the race. Rich Strike rallied from 15th at the 1-mile marker and stormed down the stretch to steal the show and win at 80/1 parimutuel odds. Rich Strike became the second-biggest longshot to ever win the Kentucky Derby and paid $163.60 on a $2 win bet. Rich Strike never won another race and was just 1-for-8 in graded stakes before retiring from racing in Nov. 2023.
Top 2026 Kentucky Derby Favorite Injured
Additionally, many top Derby contenders have failed to get to the starting gate due to injury or illness, and some even the week of the race. That adds another dynamic to consider when betting on the Kentucky Derby and future wagers.
This year, Todd Pletcher-trained undefeated Champion Eclipse 2-year-old Ted Noffey suffered a serious bone bruise in late January. He was 4-for-4 with three Grade 1 wins as a 2-year-old, and the early 2026 Kentucky Derby favorite. But Ted Noffey has since been removed from the Derby Trail.
Also, there are prep races for 3-year-old fillies (females) with the same points breakdown. Those top fillies qualify for the May 1st Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. Top sportsbooks like BetOnline will offer a Oaks-Derby double for betting on the winner of the two big races in the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby.
Odds To Win 2026 Kentucky Derby
Leading favorites and contenders odds at BetOnline effective Feb. 19 and subject to change. Horse trainer in parentheses ( ).
+600: Paladin (Chad Brown)
+800: Nearly (Todd Pletcher)
+1000: Plutarch (Bob Baffert) – down this week from 14/1
+1200: Renegade (Todd Pletcher)
+1400: Litmus Test (Bob Baffert)
+1400: Chief Wallabee (Bill Mott)
+1600: Canaletto (Chad Brown)
+1800: Commandment (Brad Cox)
+2000: Boyd (Bob Baffert)
+2000: Napoleon Solo (Chad Summers)
+2000: Blackout Time (Kenny McPeek)
+2000: Silent Tactic (Mark Casse)
+2200: Further Ado (Brad Cox)
+2500: Brant (Bob Baffert)
+2500: Jackson Hole T (Todd Pletcher)
+2800: Emerging Market (Chad Brown)
+2800: Englishman (Cherie DeVaux)
+2800: Potente (Bob Baffert)
+3000: Golden Tempo (Cherie DeVaux)
+3300: Courting (Todd Pletcher)
+3300: Chip Honcho (Steve Asmussen)
+3600: Class President (Todd Pletcher)
+3600: Power Shift (Todd Pletcher)
+3600: So Happy (Mark Glatt)
+4000: Obliteration (Steve Asmussen)
+4000: Street Beast (Ben Colebrook)
+4000: Al Haram (Abdullah Alsidrani)
+4000: Iron Honor (Chad Brown) – down from 60/1
+4500: Six Speed (B Seemar)
+5000: Liberty National, Strategic Risk
Talk to Me, Secured Freedom, The Puma
+6000: Final Score
Check out the BetOnline Racebook with the upcoming horse racing schedule, odds and Kentucky Derby futures along with wager types and betting basics of horse racing.
