Kentucky Derby 2027 Odds: Early Futures After the Breeders’ Cup
By US Racing Team Published November 4, 2026, 05:55 ET
The 2027 Kentucky Derby odds start with Hughes, the unbeaten Bob Baffert-trained colt who won the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (Grade 1) at Keeneland Race Course on October 30, 2026; his Kentucky Derby futures price is 10-1. The 153rd Kentucky Derby (Grade 1) is scheduled for Saturday, May 1, 2027, at Churchill Downs, 1 1/4 miles on dirt.
Horse
Trainer
Last race and result
Kentucky Derby Points
Future Odds
Hughes
Bob Baffert
1st, Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1), Keeneland Race Course, Oct. 30, 2026, by 2 1/4 lengths
40
10-1
U.S.S. Valor
Claude R. “Shug” McGaughey III
1st, Champagne Stakes (G1), Belmont Park, Oct. 3, 2026, by 6 1/2 lengths
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Who is the favorite for the 2027 Kentucky Derby?
Hughes is the early favorite for the 2027 Kentucky Derby. The Into Mischief colt is 5-for-5 after winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (Grade 1) by 2 1/4 lengths at Keeneland Race Course on October 30, 2026, for trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Flavien Prat. He has 40 Kentucky Derby qualifying points.
Hughes went off as the even-money favorite and covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.27, paying $3.64 to win, per the official results. He stalked the pace, took control on the far turn and pulled clear of American History, Salahudin and Coach Pope in the stretch.
The Breeders’ Cup Juvenile gave Hughes 30 points, added to the 10 points from his win in the American Pharoah Stakes (Grade 1) on October 3, 2026. It was Bob Baffert’s seventh Breeders’ Cup Juvenile win. Full recap: Hughes wins the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.
When is the 2027 Kentucky Derby?
The 153rd Kentucky Derby (Grade 1) is on Saturday, May 1, 2027, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is 1 1/4 miles on dirt for 3-year-olds. Post time and the television broadcast are TBA, and the field is set through the points-based prep season that runs through April 2027.
Who are the top Kentucky Derby 2027 contenders after the Breeders’ Cup?
Hughes leads, followed by U.S.S. Valor, the Champagne Stakes (Grade 1) winner who skipped the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. American History (second), Salahudin (third) and Coach Pope (fourth) came out of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Keeneland Race Course with Kentucky Derby points of 15, 9 and 6.
U.S.S. Valor won the Champagne Stakes (Grade 1) at Belmont Park by 6 1/2 lengths in 1:34.84 for one mile and earned a 95 Beyer Speed Figure, according to the NYRA Press Office. Owner Team Valor International chose to skip the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, and the Remsen Stakes (Grade 2) at Belmont Park on December 5, 2026, was named as a possible next start, per America’s Best Racing.
Has a Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner ever won the Kentucky Derby?
Yes, but only twice. Street Sense won the 2006 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and the 2007 Kentucky Derby, and Nyquist won the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and the 2016 Kentucky Derby. Hughes would be the third horse to complete the double if he wins at Churchill Downs on May 1, 2027.
How do I bet the 2027 Kentucky Derby now?
You bet the 2027 Kentucky Derby now with a futures win bet: you lock in a price today on a horse to win on May 1, 2027. If the horse wins, you are paid at that price. If he does not run, the bet loses. Kentucky Derby futures are available at BUSR.
Example only, not a current line: a $20 futures win bet at 10-1 returns $220 ($200 profit plus the $20 stake) if the horse wins the Kentucky Derby. See the Kentucky Derby betting guide for all bet types.
Kentucky Derby 2027 Futures Betting Angle
Hughes has the strongest form of any 2-year-old, but a futures bet on the early favorite carries the risk of every race between now and May 1, 2027, at what will be the shortest price on the board. Winter and spring prep races, travel, and development all stand between Keeneland Race Course and Churchill Downs.
The value case for U.S.S. Valor is that he has not lost to Hughes. His price is not anchored to a defeat, and his Champagne Stakes (Grade 1) win came by 6 1/2 lengths in 1:34.84 with a 95 Beyer Speed Figure. A strong start in the Remsen Stakes (Grade 2) would likely shorten his price before the winter preps.
Salahudin is the price play in the Bob Baffert barn. He finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, beaten by his stablemate, and stays on the same development path toward May 1, 2027.
Exacta and trifecta wagers on the Kentucky Derby open once the field and post positions are drawn, in the week of the race. Until then, futures are win bets only, so bettors spreading risk across two or three horses at longer prices is the standard approach this early.
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