Kentucky Derby 2026 horse numbers: Complete list for Run for the Roses

The biggest day on the horse racing calendar is just a few days away.

The 2026 Kentucky Derby, also known as the "Greatest Two Minutes in Sports," is set for approximately 6:57 p.m. ET. on Saturday, May 2 from Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. It's the 152nd running of the Run for the Roses, and the first Triple Crown race of the season.

Preparation for horse racing's marquee race continues to be well underway at Churchill Downs, as trainers and jockeys are spending time analyzing the track and weather to form their winning path out of their starting gate assignments, which were released over the weekend.

Kentucky Derby favorite Renegade drew the No. 1 post position for this year’s Run for the Roses, a post position that has not crowned a Kentucky Derby champion in 40 years, with the last being Ferdinand in 1986. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has two horses competing in this year's field with Potente and Litmus Test, as he chases a record seventh Kentucky Derby victory.

Here's a complete list of the current numbers assigned to each horse for the 2026 Kentucky Derby:

Kentucky Derby 2026 horse numbers

Here are the expected horse numbers for the 2026 Kentucky Derby, as shared on Saturday:

Note: Numbers are generally assigned based on post position, but they can be subject to change if horses are scratched from the field before the race

• No. 1:Renegade
• No. 2: Albus
• No. 3:Intrepido
• No. 4: Litmus Test
• No. 5: Right to Party
• No. 6: Commandment
• No. 7: Danon Bourbon
• No. 8:So Happy
• No. 9: The Puma
• No. 10: Wonder Dean
• No. 11: Incredibolt
• No. 12: Chief Wallabee
• No. 13: Silent Tactic
• No. 14: Potente
• No. 15: Emerging Market
• No. 16:Pavlovian
• No. 17: Six Speed
• No. 18: Further Ado
• No. 19: Golden Tempo
• No. 20: Fulleffort

Kentucky Derby 2026: TV, streaming and where to watch

• When: Saturday, May 2
• Coverage starts: 2:30 p.m. ET
• Post time: Approximately 6:57 p.m. ET
• Where: Churchill Downs (Louisville, Kentucky)
• TV channel: NBC
• Streaming options: Peacock

The 2026 Kentucky Derby is set for Saturday, May 2 from Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Coverage on NBC starts at 2:30 p.m. ET with the post time of the actual Kentucky Derby, i.e. the 12th race of the day, is set for approximately 6:57 p.m. ET.

NBC will broadcast the Kentucky Derby with a streaming option including Peacock, NBC's subscription streaming service.

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