BloodHorse news editor Byron King presents his weekly Derby Dozen for 2026, with a look at his leading contenders for the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve on May 2.

Kentucky Derby starters have until this Saturday, April 25, to arrive at Churchill Downs and many have already done so and are proceeding with final workouts in advance of the run for the roses. Post positions will be drawn Saturday afternoon between races 3 and 4 on Churchill’s opening-day card.

Check out America’s Best Racing’s Triple Crown page to keep up to date with stories and statistics on the road to the Kentucky Derby.

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1. Further Ado

With less than two weeks before the May 2 Kentucky Derby, racing form is established, leaving the only final tuning in these rankings to come from workouts, daily training, and the post-position draw. As for top-ranked Further Ado, who romped by 11 lengths in the April 4 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, he has made a positive impression at Churchill Downs, including a solo half-mile workout in :48.60 April 17. “He was awfully good this morning,” trainer Brad Cox said after the breeze.

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2. Renegade

A day before Further Ado worked at Churchill Downs, Sam F. Davis Stakes and Arkansas Derby winner Renegade put in a key breeze at Palm Beach Downs in South Florida. Breezing in company with the well-regarded maiden Powershift, the Todd Pletcher-trained Renegade logged a :48.87 half-mile, punctuated by a spirited gallop out when asked around the turn. This was a quality move, though not a blow-observers-away drill, like the one delivered from Chief Wallabee  April 20 at Churchill Downs; more on that breeze later.

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3. Commandment

His in-company work in :59.60 April 17 was fast, though he came under mild encouragement from his new jockey, Luis Saez, to stay on near-level terms late with workmate Direct Strike. Brad Cox called Commandment “a pretty average work horse” and described the breeze as a good move. Commandment is determined in the afternoons. Last out, he wore down The Puma and Chief Wallabee in the 1 1/8-mile Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa, putting his nose in front on the wire in a head-bobbing finish with The Puma. Commandment gives off every indication of being a horse who will relish the classic Derby distance of 1 ¼ miles.

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4. Chief Wallabee

His workout Monday was flawless. Breezing for the second time in blinkers – scheduled to be added to his equipment for the Derby – he settled off of stablemate Gilded Bandit, reeled him in under restraint, and then left that rival lengths behind when cut loose by jockey Junior Alvarado passing the wire. He was timed in one minute flat for five furlongs and galloped out six furlongs in 1:12 and seven furlongs in 1:26.60. He already comes into the Derby with good form – a wide second in the Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes behind Commandment and third in the Florida Derby – and this workout suggests the possibility of improvement.

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5. The Puma

The ESMARK Tampa Bay Derby winner and Florida Derby runner-up finisher arrived at Churchill Downs April 21, a few days after completing a solo 5-furlong move in 1:00.77 at Gulfstream Park. The work was well above average, but he did come under a little urging. He remains fifth on this list and third of the big three exiting the Florida Derby due to his tendency to break a little flat-footed. That can be costly in the Derby, as horses quickly scramble for position in the 20-horse field. But that is really the only fault with this 3-year-old, who ran as well as Commandment in the Florida Derby – he just had the misfortune of losing a tight photo right on the line.

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6. Silent Tactic

Looking for a Derby wager on a horse who shows up every time and figures to be sizable odds? He could be your horse. He has been either first or second in all six of his starts, and five of those were in stakes races. Such dependability is rare in a late-running horse, as they often encounter traffic issues that can compromise them. Still, he had a perfect trip from off the pace in the Arkansas Derby and finished second by four lengths to Renegade. So he needs to improve or have that one regress to be in the Derby mix.

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7. Emerging Market 

Since the Kentucky Derby points era began in 2013, only two horses have come to the Derby with only a pair of starts: Taiba, who ran 12^th in 2022, and the Japanese horse T O Password, who checked in fifth two years ago. The limited participation from such lightly raced horses is understandable, given that it essentially requires that a horse win its debut and then immediately pick up sufficient points in a major stakes race. In Emerging Market’s case, he scored first out at a route at Tampa Bay Downs and then traveled to Fair Grounds to win the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby.

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8. Potente

Fans are accustomed to seeing Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert run favorites in the Kentucky Derby, a race he has won six times. Potente is a longshot, however, likely to start at odds of 15-1 or 20-1. Baffert could have a second longshot in the Derby with another defection of two before entries Saturday, if he desires to run Litmus Test, though that colt’s form has been lackluster this season. As for Potente, after setting a pressured pace in the Santa Anita Derby and tiring to second, more than likely we will see a change in style from him in the Kentucky Derby, reverting to stalking tactics that led to a victory in the San Felipe Stakes Presented by DK Horse earlier this spring.

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9. So Happy

Already a dual Derby winner, 59-year-old Mike Smith can become the oldest jockey to win the Run for the Roses, passing Bill Shoemaker at age 54, if he can score aboard So Happy. Smith’s previous wins came on upsetting Giacomo (2005) and Triple Crown winner Justify (2018). He comes armed with a talented and versatile amount in So Happy, who showed the quickness to win the seven-furlong San Vicente Stakes earlier this year and the staying power to go 1 1/8 miles successfully in the Santa Anita Derby. His only loss in four starts came when he routed for the first time in the San Felipe.

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10. Pavlovian 

Kentucky-breds take up 11 spots in the Derby Dozen rankings, all except for California-bred Pavlovian. Both his sire and dam raced for owner Paul Reddam of Reddam Racing and trainer Doug O’Neill. This colt’s form has improved dramatically over his last two starts, first when narrowly prevailing in the Sunland Park Derby and then in running a gritty second to Emerging Market in the Louisiana Derby. A mere repeat of the performances would not appear good enough to take the much tougher and deeper Derby, but if he continues his progression, he’s not out of the mix. Speed and determination are his strengths.

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11. Albus

In winning the Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino earlier this month, he showed the ability to adapt to pace, which should give jockey Manny Franco options depending on how the Derby unfolds. Albus can sit close to the leaders if the early fractions are slow – he raced prominently early in his initial two routes – or he can come from well off the pace if the leaders go quickly early. He was 11 lengths off the leader in a hot-paced Wood before kicking into gear late in the 1 1/8-mile race.

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12. Incredibolt

He is the most rested of the Derby participants, unstarted since winning the March 14 Virginia Derby Presented by New Kent County at Colonial Downs seven weeks ago. Since Incredibolt had sufficient points to qualify for the Derby from the qualifying points he earned in that race, trainer Riley Mott chose to bring a fresh horse to the Derby. Besides the Virginia Derby, this colt won the 2025 Street Sense Stakes, a race at Churchill Downs that last year’s Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty also captured as a juvenile in 2024.