How to bet the 2026 Kentucky Derby with $100
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One of the most challenging decisions you’ll have to make before the Kentucky Derby is which wagers to play. There are many different ways to bet the Kentucky Derby, so here are a few suggested wagers for a $100 bankroll.
$24 to win on No. 6 Commandment
The Florida Derby winner is the only horse in the field with four wins. He has defeated the strongest groups in his victories, including wins over Chief Wallabee and The Puma. Of the top three horses, he could be the most underrated and he's not getting quite as much “buzz” as some of the other top contenders. If he’s about 5-1 odds, that’s a good price on the horse I think is the most likely winner.
Exacta
$2 Exacta – 6, 8 with 6, 8, 14, 19 = $12
The 2025 Kentucky Derby exacta pool was more than $30 million dollars. I’m going to build an exacta bet around the two horses I like most and then use two others in the second spot. That means if either No. 6 Commandment or No. 8 So Happy win the race, I have a chance to win this bet.
Let’s talk a little about So Happy. The Santa Anita Derby winner is a little sneaky here. Based on Beyer Speed Figures, he is right in the mix with the top contenders. We just don’t really know how good the group of California horses is this year, or if this distance will be too far. So Happy could offer strong value and has a nice running style for the Derby.
Both So Happy and No. 14 Potente raced against each other at Santa Anita. The California horses fit very well on speed figures, and they’re going to offer nice value.
My big longshot to use is No. 19 Golden Tempo. He’s going to be really far back early but should come closing at a huge price. He goes out for one of the real new star trainers of the sport, Cherie DeVaux. She would be the first female trainer to ever win the Kentucky Derby.
Trifecta
$1 trifecta 6, 8 with 6, 8, 14, 18, 19 with 1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 14, 15, 18, 19 =$64
The Kentucky Derby trifecta could pay massive, with last year’s pool more than $35 million. The bulk of my bankroll comes in a trifecta play, using the same two horses in the top spot, No. 6 Commandment and No. 8 So Happy, that we have in the exacta.
In the second spot I will again have the same horses from the exacta play, using 6, 8, 14, 19 and adding in No. 18 Further Ado, one of the top betting choices.
I will include a few other horses in the third spot of the trifecta, along with the same horses from the top two spots. No. 1 Renegade could close late, No. 7 Danon Bourbon is a wild card from Japan, both No. 9 The Puma and No. 12 Chief Wallabee ran well in Florida and are getting lots of attention in the days leading up to the Derby, and No. 15 Emerging Market is lightly raced with tons of upside, he could hit the board.
If you’re following along with these picks and want to go deeper, Daily Racing Form’s Kentucky Derby Package provides you with everything you need, including past performances, expert picks, full analysis, betting strategies, and more. Get access to the most trusted information in horse racing here.
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