Final Ranking of All 20 Kentucky Derby Horses & Best Bets to Win, Place & Show on Saturday

At 6:57 PM ET, close to 150,000 people will be inside Churchill Downs Racecourse to see which competitor will win the first leg of the 2026 Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby . This year’s field includes a deep list of contenders, dark horses, and long shots. But who is the best of the best heading into Saturday’s event?

We look to answer that question with our rankings of the 2026 Kentucky Derby horses, as well as best bets to win, show, and place tonight. 20. Ocelli (50-1) Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images D.

Whitworth Beckman-trained horse Ocelli jumps into the 2026 Kentucky Derby after several horses, including Right to Party, were scratched from tonight’s race. Although Ocelli has six contests on his resume, he has no wins to his name. Furthermore, he enters this year’s derby in a slump after a pair of sixth-place finishes in his last three.

19. Intrepido (50-1) Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Early in his career, Jeff Mullins-trained colt Intrepido showed a lot of potential after winning two of his first three races, including the American Pharoah last year. However, since then, the horse has struggled.