Meet the horses running in the Kentucky Derby

The Kentucky Derby, the first race in the 2026 Triple Crown series, will feature a full field of 20 horses this Saturday in Louisville, Kentucky. The Triple Crown, a prestigious series for 3-year-old thoroughbreds, continues with the Preakness Stakes in Maryland and the Belmont Stakes in New York. Renegade, with 4-1 odds, is the morning-line favorite, despite drawing the challenging No. 1 post position, which hasn’t produced a winner since 1986. Renegade qualified for the Derby by winning the Arkansas Derby and the Sam F. Davis Stakes earlier this year. Irad Ortiz Jr., an experienced jockey, will ride Renegade, aiming for his first top finish in the Derby. The race will be the 12th of the day at Churchill Downs, with post time set for 6:57 p.m. ET. QUESTION: How might the outcome of the Kentucky Derby influence the strategies of trainers and jockeys in the subsequent Triple Crown races?