This Minnesota Girl Is Losing Sleep Over the Kentucky Derby

20 amazing horses and the jockeys who are upon their backs will be racing for a chance at glory this weekend.

The Run for the Roses, The Kentucky Derby, will be happening on Saturday, May 2nd, 2026, and if you've never watched it before, it really is something worth seeing at least once in your life.

THIS WEEK MAKES ME CRAZY

The week leading up to the Kentucky Derby makes me crazy. I have so many questions. How do the experts pick which horses they think will win the race? Which horses in the Kentucky Derby have ever raced on a muddy track? Will this year's race be a muddy mess, or will we get lucky and have a beautiful day with nothing but sunshine and blue skies? I hate the muddy races, because it makes the race so dangerous for the horses, but we can't predict what Mother Nature will choose.

Monday evening, I viewed the odds for every horse that is in the Kentucky Derby this weekend. I looked for special little things that might make one stand out over the other. But I'm not choosing my winner yet. As we inch closer to the Kentucky Derby, we could see horses pull out of the race for a variety of reasons, but at this moment, 20 horses are running.

MEET MY CONTENDERS

I've written down every horse's name. I've written down the odds of them winning the race. I've put stars by the horses with the cutest names, and the ones that seem to have extraordinary potential that maybe the experts have missed. I've marked the ones that have experience running in the mud, and the ones that have never run on dirt before.

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COMMANDMENT 6-1

I watched Commandment run in some races online, and wow...what a horse. He has the capability of catching and conquering those who are ahead of him when the race really counts. Commandment has won four straight races. The question is...why did two prominent jockeys pass on the chance of riding him in the Kentucky Derby? What do THEY know that we don't?

FURTHER ADO 5-1

Further Ado has an interesting story. He is the son of a horse named Gun Runner, who won 12 races, and his mom, Sky Dreamer, was also a racehorse. This horse has won three of the six races he's been in, but that's all the races he has under his belt. He is born of champions, and all of his wins have been on dirt. The big concern for those wanting to bet on a winner is that Gun Runner sons typically peak AFTER the Kentucky Derby, not in it. We'll have to see if Further Ado can break free from family traditions.

RENEGADE 9-2

When a top jockey picks a horse, you know that horse has something special. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. got to pick the horse he wanted to ride, and Renegade was his choice. This horse had a big Arkansas win, and with his breeding, is thought to have the stamina to make this a clean run for the win. CONCERN: Renegade is running out of Gate 1...and that spot is generally a tough spot to be in, as horses looking for the inside of the track could bump him out.

EMERGING MARKET 20-1 ODDS

This horse is interesting. He's young and fast, and he's won both of the races he's been in so far, so he's 2 for 2. That's great... except it's only 2 races. No 3-year-old has won the derby since Leonatus in 1883. If he wants to run and doesn't let the 20-horse line-up get in his way, he has a chance.

FULLEFFORT 20-1

This horse has run effortlessly on synthetic tracks, but the Kentucky Derby will be his first career run on dirt. Unless he gets a feel for the dirt track in a hurry, the dirt track could be what gets in his way.

GOLDEN TEMPO 30-1

Have you heard of the Curlin Family curse? The Curlin family has produced unbelievable race horses, including Kentucky Derby runners-up Exaggerator, Good Magic, and Journalism. If you don't believe in family curses, they say this fast horse can kick it down towards the end of the race when others might be slowing down, and bring home the win.

THE PUMA 10-1

One horse above all others' names popped up in every single race I watched last night. That was 'The Puma.' The Puma always seems to be in the running for the win and lost by a nose to Commandment in one. However, The Puma has improved every start since January, and it's clear that The Puma knows what the race is all about. Why is no one saying The Puma will bring it this time?

WET TRACK? WATCH OUT FOR 'RIGHT TO PARTY'

It appears that we might have a 65-degree day for this year's derby, and it looks like it also might be a wet one. In that case, all the odds could change in favor of the only horse on the track with wet track experience, and that belongs to Right To Party.

YOUNG JOCKEY FOR A WIN? UNLIKELY

If Right To Party wins this race, it will be an incredible story. He's got a 19-year-old jockey named Chris Elliott, and he's never seen the Kentucky Derby track. But! His trainer, Kenny McPeek, won the 2024 Derby with Mystik Dan and is said to have a way with getting big race finishes. He's not expected to win...but you just never know what will happen in the Kentucky Derby.

WHO ARE MY PICKS?

I haven't made up my mind yet. My heart is pounding just thinking about who will win and place. I have to see what unfolds this week, leading up to Derby Day. Will all of these horses stay in the race, or will there be changes before the big day?

TUNE IN

Regardless of who you choose, I hope you will enjoy the full day of pageantry and fun...but at the very least, make sure you're tuned in for the race at about 5:45 central time. The race will happen at 5:57 p.m. Central and will be over before you can blink an eye. Watch it on NBC!