2026 Kentucky Derby: Pavlovian 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: Pavlovian.

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2026 Kentucky Derby Profile & Predictions: Pavlovian

Name: Pavlovian
Post Position: 16
Trainer: Doug O’Neill
Jockey: Edwin Maldonado
Owners: Reddam Racing, LLC
Breeder: Reddam Racing, LLC
Sire: Pavel
Dam: Mandy’s Grace
Color: Gray/roan
Career Record: 10-2-4-1
Earnings: $613,450
Top Beyer Speed Figure: 90
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 96
Derby Qualifying Points: 70

Recent Form & Racing Style

Pavlovian utilizes a tactical stalker/frontrunner style, often pressing the pace before rallying. He won the 2026 Sunland Park Derby and finished second in the 2026 Louisiana Derby (G2).

Betting Outlook

Pavlovian heads into the Kentucky Derby with some rather long odds, but a little history on his side. Doug O’Neill took Nyquist to the winner’s circle at Churchill Downs back in the 2016 Kentucky Derby in a scorching 2:01:31 time, while also training the 2012 winner, I’ll Have Another. He teams with jockey Edwin Maldonado, who has never won the Kentucky Derby, however. This 3-year-old, owned by Reddam Racing LLC, has three races during the 2026 season, including a first-place finish at the Sunland Park Derby (Listed), and a runner-up finish at the Louisiana Derby (G2) in late March, with an Equibase score of 96 at Fair Grounds. With O’Neill as trainer, anything is possible, but don’t get too carried away.
-Daniel Dobish

Bet: Show (Longshot)

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.