WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Oddsmakers favourite Renegade drew the dreaded inside post on Saturday for next weekend’s 152nd Kentucky Derby, a position that has not produced a Derby winner since 1986.

Renegade was still fancied at 4-1 for next Saturday’s 1.25-mile showdown at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, in the opening event of US flat racing’s Triple Crown.

Commandment, starting from the sixth spot, and Further Ado, going out from the 18th gate of 20, were next at 6-1 odds with Chief Wallabee priced at at 8-1 out of the 12th gate.

Renegade is owned by Mike Repole, who is 0-8 with prior Derby entries. The 57-year-old American businessman’s horse won last month’s Arkansas Derby to secure a prime spot among contenders entering the Run for the Roses.

Not since Ferdinand took the victory 40 years ago has a starter from along the rail taken the Derby triumph.

Veteran trainer Todd Pletcher hopes Renegade can become his third Derby winner, after Super Saver in 2010 and Always Dreaming in 2017.

Renegade has been ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr, a Puerto Rican jockey who rode Triple Crown race winners in 2016 and 2022 at the Belmont Stakes.

This year’s Triple Crown also features the Preakness on May 16 and June’s Belmont.

The Preakness will be run at Laurel Park in Maryland, as Pimlico Race Course undergoes renovations, while the Belmont Stakes will be run at Saratoga for the third and final year due to renovations at Belmont Park.

Renegade trains on the track during morning workouts on April 26, 2026 in Louisville, Kentucky, ahead of the running of the 152nd Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. (Photo: AFP)