The best Kentucky Derby prep race yet happens Saturday, March 28 at Gulfstream: the Grade 1, $1 million Florida Derby. Like all the races this time of year, it offers 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Derby points, meaning at least the top two finishers, and possibly more, will make it to Louisville. But, no prep yet has been filled with so many top prospects as the Florida Derby.
All of the best horses from the Florida prep races have been pointed to clash at Gulfstream on Saturday. Commandment and Chief Wallabee, the 1-2 finishers in a thrilling Fountain of Youth (G2), meet again. Nearly, the runaway Holy Bull (G3) winner, returns to action. The Puma, who broke his maiden in style with a victory in the Tampa Bay Derby (G3), steps up to these tougher foes as well.
With such a classy field, the 2026 Florida Derby is a horse racing betting opportunity that you do not want to miss! Keep reading to find out the best bets and to see the best online sportsbooks for betting the 2026 Florida Derby!
Florida Derby Field
This is the official field for the 2026 Florida Derby including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning lines:
- Albus (Riley Mott/Tyler Gaffalione) - 10-1
- Chief Wallabee (Bill Mott/Junior Alvarado) - 2-1
- Wayne’s Law (Amador Sanchez/Marcos Meneses) - 15-1
- Commandment (Brad Cox/Flavien Prat) - 5-2
- Redland Rebels (Patrick Biancone/Joel Rosario) - 15-1 (expected to scratch)
- Nearly (Todd Pletcher/John Velazquez) - 3-1
- Timeless Victory (Eddie Plesa, Jr./Jose Morelos) - 20-1
- The Puma (Gustavo Delgado/Javier Castellano) - 9-2
- Gregarious (Jose Castro/Rajiv Maragh) - 50-1
Note that there are expected to be eight starters – Redland Rebels was cross-entered in the Arkansas Derby (G1) and is expected to race in Hot Springs.
The morning line can be a good pointer toward which horses are expected to take betting action, but it’s not a guarantee of a price on track. Your best bet is to wager online on the Florida Derby! Since online betting sites often offer fixed-odds wagering on major races, you can lock in your price just by placing a bet!
These are the Florida Derby odds for horses at the top of the market:
 |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Wallabee | TBA | TBA | +170 |
| Commandment | TBA | TBA | +220 |
| Nearly | TBA | TBA | +225 |
| The Puma | TBA | TBA | +525 |
| Wayne's Law | TBA | TBA | +1600 |
Florida Derby Online Betting
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Florida Derby Handicapping
You have your betting account ready, so now it’s time to meet the field and find out the best bets for the 2026 Florida Derby!
Florida Derby Favorites
The pair coming out of the Fountain of Youth, Chief Wallabee and Commandment, are likely to vie for favoritism. Despite being defeated last out, Chief Wallabee is the more appealing of the two in this spot. Both are talented horses with legitimate chances, and both should be able to rate off a contested pace, but the distance is the issue.
Commandment was drifting late in the Fountain of Youth, while Chief Wallabee was running straight and strong. Chief Wallabee also has a bit stronger distance pedigree, all things considered. With the extra half-furlong of the Florida Derby, that’s a meaningful difference between the two favorites.
Florida Derby Best Bet
Nearly is the best bet in the Florida Derby. Though he ran into trouble on debut at Aqueduct, he hasn’t done anything wrong in three starts at Gulfstream, winning a maiden special weight, a first-level allowance, and the Holy Bull by open lengths. He is versatile enough to show speed or pass horses, and has done both under regular rider John Velazquez.
Velazquez has won more editions of the Florida Derby than any jockey, and most of them for Todd Pletcher, who also trains Nearly. With improving form and a nice distance pedigree, Nearly shapes as a likely winner – despite likely being only the third choice on the board, behind the Fountain of Youth pair.
Florida Derby Exotics Horses
The Puma will be class tested here, as he comes from the less deep Tampa Bay spur of the Kentucky Derby trail. However, his distance pedigree is perhaps the strongest in the field, and he is improving into this spot. In fact, his last-out Tampa Bay Derby win was his maiden-breaker. but, he has a good effort at Gulfstream as well, and he has a good chance of an honest pace to close into.
This field is certainly stratified between the top four and the other four. However, among the real long shots, Wayne’s Law is the most interesting for a minor award. He has never missed the board in five starts, including a win and two placings in stakes company. This is a much deeper field than the Sam F. Davis – though he did finish ahead of The Puma that day! – and his two blowout wins at Gulfstream last year show an affinity for the course.
Free Florida Derby Picks
These are your free expert picks for the 2026 Florida Derby:
- $20 to win - #6 Nearly
- $1 exacta key - #6 Nearly with #2 Chief Wallabee, #8 The Puma
- $0.50 trifecta key - #6 Nearly with #2 Chief Wallabee, #4 Commandment, #8 The Puma
- $0.20 superfecta key - #6 Nearly with #2 Chief Wallabee, #3 Wayne’s Law, #4 Commandment, #8 The Puma
