Gene Menez, who hit the a Kentucky Derby trifecta last year, has revealed his 2026 Florida Derby best bets
By Daniel Lewis Mar 27, 2026 at 2:54 pm ET • 2 min read 
Imagn Images One of the top 2026 Kentucky Derby qualifiers is set for Saturday as the 2026 Florida Derby runs at Gulfstream Park in Hallendale Beach Fla. A whopping 25 eventual Kentucky Derby winners have also run at the Florida Derby, more than any other Kentucky Derby prep race. The Florida Derby 2026, which is a Grade-I race run at 1 1/8 miles, has a post time of 6:42 p.m. ET.
The latest 2026 Florida odds list Chief Wallabee as the 2-1 favorite, followed by Commandment (5-2), Nearly (3-1) and The Puma (9-2). Before making any 2026 Florida Derby picks, be sure to see the horse racing predictions from SportsLine's Gene Menez.
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Menez is one SportsLine's top horse racing expert, and he excels on horse racing's biggest days. In 2024 he crushed the late Pick 4 on Breeders' Cup Saturday for a $5,303 windfall. Last year he nailed the winner, trifecta and superfecta in the Florida Derby for a $529.60 score and the winner and trifecta in the Blue Grass Stakes for a $761.96 jackpot. He also hit the late Pick 4 on Kentucky Oaks day for $915.48. In the Kentucky Derby, he hammered the exacta and trifecta for a $1,045 payout. And in November, Menez finished 115th out of 643 entries in the Breeders' Cup Betting Challenge, the biggest live-money handicapping tournament in the country.
And just a few weeks ago, on Fountain of Youth day, he struck big hitting the late Pick 5 for $4,648. Anyone following his horse racing betting advice could have been way up.
For the Florida Derby 2026, Menez has handicapped the field, made his picks and constructed his best bets. You can head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2026 Florida Derby predictions
One of Menez's surprising Florida Derby picks: He does not like the value of Chief Wallabee as the 2-1 favorite.
"I'm a big fan of this talented runner trained by Bill Mott," Menez said. "With only one career start, Chief Wallabee ran a winning race in the Fountain of Youth Stakes but lost by a neck to Commandment. Chief Wallabee lost much ground to Commandment that day but arguably was on the better part of the track. I think both are major Kentucky Derby contenders. On Saturday Chief Wallabee is eligible to move forward while making just his third career start and second around two turns. But the 2-1 price is too short for me to make him my top pick." See which horses to back here, and see the latest TwinSpires offer code here.
How to make 2026 Florida Derby picks, best bets
Instead, Menez's top pick is a horse who is most likely to "move forward off his last race." You can see who they are, and get all of Menez's 2026 Florida Derby picks, over at SportsLine.
Which horse wins the Florida Derby 2026, and how should you construct your wagers? Check out the latest 2026 Florida Derby odds below, then visit SportsLine to see Menez's picks, all from the expert who nailed a trifecta at the 2025 Kentucky Derby.
