Horse Racing Tips for Churchill Downs 5/2/26

Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs, Saturday, May 2^nd 2026: Here are the picks from Team Otis (Outstanding Thoroughbred Investment Syndicate) for the Kentucky Derby card on Saturday, May 2^nd, 2026. As always, we do our best to help you make money on these big days, especially the biggest day of racing every year; the one day all eyes are on horse racing, the Kentucky Derby.

A couple of brief items, we are part of a new website that is in the pre-launch stage, for those of you who are into Daily Fantasy Sports, ROTO leagues, or prop betting, you have to check it out. Our initial launch is for baseball, but all the other major sports will follow. The place to go is trisyncsports.com, to find the ultimate system for predicting when an athlete will be at a peak performance level, or possibly have an “off” day. Please check it out and let others know about it. More detailed reports are on the way, and much of the information will be free as it is now, with the more advanced reports available at a low monthly cost.

Also, check out my new book, now available on Amazon. It is a gambling novella, that is a thriller, which will take you across the gaming universe, Broken Down in Paradise. Now on to the selections. The A horses are our top picks that we think are the most likely winners, and an A+ horse should be a single on most horizontal tickets. Any B+ horse is not quite a top pick, but offers good value at a nice price and is treated almost the same as an A horse for wagering purposes. B horses look solid and have a good chance to win as well. C horses are used as savers. Sometimes they are price horses that have a shot to finish in the money, or they may be a low odds horse we are trying to beat.

The suggested wagers are our best opinion on how to bet. For those on a limited budget, the win bets, exactas and daily doubles are the best option.

Saturday, May 2nd, 2026, Churchill Downs

Race 8 Pat Day Mile Stakes: This race is the start of the Pick 5 that ends with the Kentucky Derby. Our A+ horse is the favorite, #6 Crude Velocity 5/2. The C horses are #2 Trouble Calling 5/1, #4 Secured Freedom 20/1, #8 Creole Chrome 8/1.

Win: #6, Daily Double: #6 with #4, Daily Double: #6 with #4, #8 Exacta: #6 with #2, #4, #8, Exacta: #2, #4, #8 with #6 Trifecta: #6 with #2, #4, #8 with #2, #4, #8 Trifecta: #2, #4, #8 with #6 with #2, #4, #8 Super: #6 with #2, #4, #8 with #2, #4, #8  with #2, #4, #8 Super: #2, #4, #8  with #6 with #2, #4, #8  with #2, #4, #8 Pick 5: #6 with #4, #8 with #6, #7, #8, #10 with #4, #7, #10 with #7, #10, #14, #18 ($48) Pick 5: #6 with #4, #8, #9, #10 with #6, #7, #8, #10  with #4, #7, #10 with #18 ($24) Pick 3: #6 with #4, #8 with #6, #7, #8, #10 Race 9 American Turf Stakes: Our A horse is the lukewarm favorite, #4 Stark Contrast 4/1. The B horse is #8 Greenwich Village 6/1. The C horses are #9 Honey Dutch 12/1 and #10 Vasy (IRE) 10/1.

Win: #4, Daily Double: #4, #8 with #7, #10, Daily Double: #4 with #6, #7, #8, #10 Exacta Box: #4-#8 Trifecta Box: #4-#8-#9-#10, Trifecta: #4 with #8, #9, #10 with #8, #9, #10 Pick 3: #4, #8 with #6, #7, #8, #10  with #4, #7, #10 Pick 3: #4, #8, #9, #10 with #7, #10 with #4, #7 Race 10 Churchill Downs Stakes: Our A horse is #7 Imagination 6/1. The B+ horse is #10 Banishing 12/1. The C horse are #6 Knightsbride 9/5 and #8 T O Elvis 30/1.

Win: #7, Daily Double: #7, #10 with #7, Daily Double: #7, #8, #10,  with #4, #7 Exacta Box: #7-#10, Exacta Box: #7-#8-#10 Trifecta Box: #6-#7-#8-#10  Pick 3: #7, #10 with #4, #7, #10 with #7, #10, #14, #18 Pick 3: #6, #7, #8, #10  with #4, #7, #10 with #7, #18 Race 11 Turf Classic Stakes: Our A horse is #7 Gold Phoenix (IRE) 10/1. The B horse is #4 Program Trading (GB) 4/1. The C horse is #10 Make Me King 6/1.

Win: #7, Daily Double: #7 with #18, Daily Double: #4, #7, #10 with #7, #18 Exacta Box: #4-#7, Exacta Box: #4-#7-#10 Trifecta Box: #4-#7-#10 Race 12 Kentucky Derby: Our A horse is #18 Further Ado 6/1. The B horse is #7 Danon Bourbon 20/1. The C horses are #10 Wonder Dean (JPN) 30/1 and #14 Potente 20/1.

Win: #18 (also #7 if the track is wet), Exacta Box: #7-#18, Exacta Box: #7-#10-#14-#18 Exacta: #18 with #7, #10, #14, Exacta: #7, #10, #14 with #18 Trifecta: #7, #18 with #7, #10, #14, #18 with #7, #10, #14, #18 Trifecta Box: #7-#10-#14-#18 Super: #18 with #7 with #10, #14 with #10, #14 Super: #18 with #7,#10, #14 with #7, #8, #10, #14, with #1, #7, #8, #10, #14 Super: #7, #18 with #7, #10, #14, #18 with #7, #10, #14, #18 with #7, #10, #14, #18 Super Box: #7-#10-#14-#18