2026 Kentucky Derby: Litmus Test Odds, Picks & Predictions

by BettingPros Staff |
Apr 29, 2026

The Kentucky Derby is one of the most prestigious and highly anticipated events in the world of horse racing. Held annually on the first Saturday in May, the Kentucky Derby attracts horse racing enthusiasts from all over the world. The Derby is a 1 1/4 mile race for three-year-old thoroughbreds and is often referred to as “the most exciting two minutes in sports.” Let's take a look at the odds for one of the horses competing in the 152nd Run for the Roses: Litmus Test.

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2026 Kentucky Derby Profile & Predictions: Litmus Test

Name: Litmus Test
Post Position: 4
Trainer: Bob Baffert
Jockey: Martin Garcia
Owners: SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Stonestreet Stables, Dianne Bashor, Determined Stables, Golconda Stable, Waves Edge Capital, & Catherine Donovan
Breeder: Machmer Hall
Sire: Nyquist
Dam: Study Hard
Color: Bay
Career Record: 2-0-2
Earnings: $477,688
Top Beyer Speed Figure: 96
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 111
Derby Qualifying Points: 34

Recent Form & Racing Style

Litmus Test runs with a tactical, versatile racing style, often sitting just off the pace. He placed first at Del Mar in August of 2025 and won the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) in December. However, he has not done well of late in either Oaklawn Park or the Arkansas Derby.

Betting Outlook

Litmus Test was added to the field after Iron Honor and Chip Honcho pulled out. An experienced horse with seven races on his record, he ran his first last year in August and took first at Del Mar (August 16). He had three top-four finishes in a row before ending the year with a win in the Los Alamitos Futurity (Gr. 2) in December. But his last two efforts did not go as well; he took third at Oaklawn Park on March 1 and seventh a few weeks later in the Arkansas Derby. His jockey, Martin Garcia, has gone 0-5 in the Kentucky Derby, but his trainer, the legendary Bob Baffert, has a history of success, having gone 6-35 with wins in 1997, 1998, 2002, 2015, 2018, and 2020. His track record is not impressive, but with Baffert as his trainer, he could be worth betting to show as a longshot.
-Travis Pulver

Bet: Show (long shot)

2026 Kentucky Derby Field

Post	Horse	Trainer Name	Jockey Name	Odds
1	Renegade	Todd Pletcher	Irad Ortiz Jr.	+400
2	Albus	Riley Mott	Manuel Franco	+4000
3	Intrepido	Jeff Mullins	Hector Barrios	+5000
4	Litmus Test	Bob Baffert	Martin Garcia	+5000
5	Right to Party	Kenneth McPeek	Chris Elliott	+5000
6	Commandment	Brad Cox	Luis Saez	+500
7	Danon Bourbon	Manabu Ikezoe	Atsuya Nishimura	+1500
8	So Happy	Mark Glatt	Mike Smith	+1200
9	The Puma	Gustavo Delgado	Javier Castellano	+800
10	Wonder Dean	Daisuke Takayanagi	Ryusei Sakai	+4000
11	Incredibolt	Riley Mott	Jaime Torres	+2500
12	Chief Wallabee	William I. Mott	Junior Alvarado	+800
13	Silent Tactic	John C. Oxley	Cristian Torres	+3000
14	Potente	Bob Baffert	Juan Hernandez	+2000
15	Emerging Market	Chad C. Brown	Flavien Prat	+1500
16	Pavlovian	Doug O’Neill	Edwin Maldonado	+3500
17	Six Speed	Bhupat Seemar	TBD	+5000
18	Further Ado	Brad Cox	John Velazquez	+500
19	Golden Tempo	Cherie DeVaux	Jose Ortiz	+3000
20	Fulleffort	Brad Cox	Tyler Gaffalione	+2500

Best Bets, Picks & Predictions

2026 Kentucky Derby Horse Previews, Picks & Predictions

Check out our previews for every horse competing in the 2026 Kentucky Derby and our expert analysis on the best bets for this year's Run for the Roses.