2026 Kentucky Derby: The Puma 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: The Puma.

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2026 Kentucky Derby Profile & Predictions: The Puma

Name: The Puma
Post Position: 9
Trainer: Gustavo Delgado
Jockey: Javier Castellano
Owners: OGMA Investments, JR Ranch & High Step Racing
Breeder: Hidden Brook Farm & Brian Kahn
Sire: Essential Quality
Dam: Eve of War (by Declaration of War)
Color: Chestnut
Career Record: 4: 1-2-1
Earnings: $442,280
Top Beyer Speed Figure: 100
Top Equibase Speed Figure: 97
Derby Qualifying Points: 106

Recent Form & Racing Style

The Puma is known for his stalker-style running and finished second by a nose in the Florida Derby (G1) on March 28.

Betting Outlook

The Puma has run in four races, finishing in the money in all four (1-2-1). His victory came at the 2026 Tampa Bay Derby on March 7. He finished in second in his most recent race, the 2026 Florida Derby, a few weeks later (March 28), where he started slow but showed some impressive speed to finish in second. His jockey, Javier Castellano, won the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes on different horses in 2023. Gustavo Delgado, his trainer, also happened to be the trainer of the 2023 Kentucky Derby winner. He has raced well against proven competition and has become known for having a strong, late burst down the stretch. Several experts have picked him to finish in the top three. He's a solid dark horse to win, and a good bet to show.
-Travis Pulver

Bet: Win/Place/Show

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.