Kentucky Derby - Pick Pony

Cherie DeVaux Makes History As First Female Trainer to Win the Kentucky Derby

Cherie DeVaux becomes the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby as Golden Tempo (32) storms home from off the pace under Jose Ortiz at 23-1 odds, claiming his first Grade I victory in the 152nd running of the classic.

Pick Pony May 3, 2026

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Analysis Picks

EARLY REPORT Pick Pony AI Picks and Predictions Tip Sheet – Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, May 2, 2026

Here are the picks and predictions for the May 2, 2026 thoroughbred horse racing card at the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

Pick Pony April 29, 2026

A horse race handicapper holding a PPS/Racing Form standing by a AI robot watching a thoroughbred horse race.

Analysis Reports

EARLY REPORT Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs – Pick Pony Handicapper Report & Tip Sheet – News and Analysis for the May 2, 2026 card

Check out Pick Pony's daily tip sheet with news, analysis, picks and predictions for May 2, 2026 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

Pick Pony April 29, 2026

Analysis Reports

EARLY REPORT Pick Pony Mini Tip Sheet for the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs – Racing News and Analysis for May 2, 2026

A quick-reference tip sheet with top picks and key contenders for May 2, 2026 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.

Pick Pony April 29, 2026

News

Beating the Draw: How Renegade’s Rail and Mid-Gate Gold Reshaped the 2026 Kentucky Derby

The 2026 Kentucky Derby post position draw punished favorite Renegade with Post 1—a historically cursed gate—while gifting overlays The Puma at Post 9 and Chief Wallabee at Post 12 the best positioning on the board. Smart money is already repositioning tickets around these gate-draw winners.

Pick Pony April 26, 2026

News

Rain or Shine? Which 2026 Kentucky Derby Contenders Could Thrive on a Wet Churchill Downs Track

Track conditions could reshape the entire Kentucky Derby picture, with Luxor Cafe standing out as the clearest beneficiary of wet going, while pace-setters like Further Ado and Commandment face potential disadvantages in slower footing.

Pick Pony April 26, 2026

Education

About the Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby has been around for more than 100 years. The race was created by Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr., grandson of explorer William Clark, after he visited the Epsom Derby in England and the Grand Prix de Paris in France and returned determined to found an American race of similar prestige.

Pick Pony March 17, 2026

Tracks

Churchill Downs adds three points-bearing Middle East races to the Kentucky Derby series.

Churchill Downs Inc. has announced the addition of three key races in the Middle East to the European-Middle East qualifying series for the 2026 Kentucky Derby. These newly included races—the Group 3 UAE 2000 Guineas, the Saudi Derby (G3), and the Dubai Road to the Kentucky Derby Stakes (formerly the Al Bastakiya)—will now offer valuable qualifying points, creating expanded opportunities for three-year-old Thoroughbreds to earn an invitation to compete in the Kentucky Derby, scheduled for Saturday, May 2, 2026.

Pick Pony October 14, 2025

Education

Why don’t we see more fillies in the Triple Crown races?

The underrepresentation of fillies, or young female horses, in horse racing when compared to colts, or young male horses, is a multifaceted issue that primarily stems from certain breeding practices.

Pick Pony July 25, 2025