“The greatest two minutes in sports” is less than a week away.
This Saturday, May 2, more than a hundred thousand people will put on colorful sun dresses, suits and ornate sun hats to spend their Saturday at the Kentucky Derby. And millions more around the U.S. will host parties and turn on their TVs to watch the 152-year-old American tradition.
Last year, there was one Florida horse racing in the 151st Kentucky Derby, and this year, there are none. Although none of the 2026 horses were bred in Florida, four of them recently competed at the Florida Derby — a prep race in South Florida that’s produced more Kentucky Derby winners than any other.
Here’s when the 2026 Kentucky Derby will be held, how to watch it and which horses have connections to Florida.
When is the 2026 Kentucky Derby?
The 152nd Run for the Roses, which is the Derby’s nickname, is this Saturday, May 2, in Louisville, Kentucky, and will begin just before 7 p.m. ET.
Kentucky Derby 2026 connections to Florida Derby
None of the horses set to race in this year’s Kentucky Derby were bred in Florida, but three of the horses in the Run for the Roses just raced in Florida in March.
Albus, Chief Wallabee, Commandment and The Puma, all raced in the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, which is the prep race that has produced the most Kentucky Derby winners — 26, to be exact.
Commandment, The Puma and Chief Wallabee took first through third place at the Florida Derby, with Florida-bred horse Nearly just missing the cut in fourth place.
Kentucky Derby 2026 post positions
If you’re new to horse racing or need a refresher: A “post position” is the starting gate number assigned to each horse in a race.
Post positions are numbered from the inside rail and increase as they reach the edge of the track. So, a number one post position means it’s the closest to the inside rail of the track and the number 20 post is farthest from the inside rail.
Here are the post positions for the 2026 Kentucky Derby, with the trainer and jockey names and odds:
1. Renegade, Todd Pletcher, Irad Ortiz Jr., 4-1
2. Albus, Riley Mott, Manny Franco, 30-1
3. Intrepido, Jeff Mullins, Hector Berrios, 50-1
4. Litmus Test, Bob Baffert, Martin Garcia, 30-1
5. Right to Party, Kenny McPeek, Chris Elliott, 30-1
6. Commandment, Brad Cox, Luis Saez, 6-1
7. Danon Bourbon, Manabu Ikezoe, Atsuya Nishimura, 20-1
8. So Happy, Mark Glatt, Mike Smith, 15-1
9. The Puma, Gustavo Delgado, Javier Castellano, 10-1
10. Wonder Dean, Daisuke Takayanagi, Ryusei Sakai, 30-1
11. Incredibolt, Riley Mott, Jaime Torres, 20-1
12. Chief Wallabee, Bill Mott, Junior Alvarado, 8-1
13. Silent Tactic, Mark Casse, Cristian Torres, 20-1
14. Potente, Bob Baffert, Juan Hernandez, 20-1
15. Emerging Market, Chad Brown, Flavien Prat, 15-1
16. Pavlovian, Doug O’Neill, Edwin Maldonado, 30-1
17. Six Speed, Bhupat Seemar, Brian Hernandez Jr., 50-1
18. Further Ado, Brad Cox, John Velazquez, 6-1
19. Golden Tempo, Cherie DeVaux, Jose Ortiz, 30-1
20. Fulleffort, Brad Cox, Tyler Gaffalione, 20-1
Where can I stream the Kentucky Derby? Where to watch, stream the 2026 Kentucky Derby
Watch the 2026 Kentucky Derby on Peacock
The Kentucky Derby will be broadcast on NBC, with coverage starting at 2:30 p.m. ET. The time of the actual Kentucky Derby, which is the 12th race of the day, is set for approximately 6:57 p.m. ET.
Kentucky Derby coverage will also be streaming on Peacock, for those who don’t have a live TV provider.
Contributing: Steve Gardner, USA TODAY
Lianna Norman is a trending reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, covering pop culture, lotteries, rocket launches, Florida wildlife, breaking news and more. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: When is the 2026 Kentucky Derby? No Florida horses in this year’s race
Reporting by Lianna Norman, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
