The 2026 Kentucky Derby will go off at 6:57 p.m. ET, but there’s a full day of racing at Churchill Downs ahead of the Run for the Roses.
The first race on the card goes off at 11 a.m. sharp, and the first stakes race is the fourth contest on the card, which will go off at 12:38 p.m. ET.
We’ve highlighted a handful of races in the lead-up to the Derby to help pad your bankroll before the main event.
2026 Kentucky Derby undercard picks
Race 5 (1:12 p.m. ET): Twin Spires Turf Sprint
We’ll kick things off with a doozy on the turf.
No. 3 My Boy Prince (5-2) figures to be a chalky favorite, but the top of this board features a few other contenders, including No. 7 Yellow Card (9-2), who just finished second to My Boy Prince at the Shakertown Stakes earlier this month.
A rewatch of that race shows that Yellow Card had a disastrous trip, but Flavien Prat, who is aboard Saturday, somehow was able to get this horse into contention and almost nick the win from My Boy Prince.
To win: No. 7 Yellow Card
Race 7 (2:38 p.m. ET): Churchill Distaff Turf Mile
This is a wide-open race.
No. 2 Sweet Rebecca (5-2) was pegged as the standout by the morning-line oddsmaker, but she’ll need to hold off a field that feels six or seven deep.
Of the horses at the top, Chad Brown’s No. 3 Portfolio Duration (4-1) looks to be trending towards a big race.
In a race that could essentially be won by anybody, we’ll go price-hunting and land on No. 4 Temptable (8-1) and No. 7 Movin’ On Up (12-1).
Irish-bred Temptable didn’t hit the board in her first start on this side of the pond, but she didn’t fall flat, either. A step forward at a good price against a beatable field seems worth a bet.
Movin’ On Up gets a crack at a softer field after some bridesmaid finishes against some quality stakes competition, including in this race last year.
Box: 3,4,7
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Race 10: American Turf (4:50 p.m. ET)
The morning-line favorite No. 6 Knightsbridge (9-5) comes in on a four-race winning streak and headlines a top-heavy field that also features two Bob Baffert contenders, No. 2 Cornucopian (7-2) and No. 7 Imagination (6-1).
If those three, all of whom are likely to be forwardly placed, are duking it out, I like the value of No. 10 Banishing (12-1), a consistent horse that just won the Godolphin Mile in Dubai.
Win: No. 10 Banishing (12-1)
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Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
