Who will win Kentucky Derby? Winner predictions and picks from handicappers

Updated May 2, 2026, 5:31 p.m. ETEditor's note: Follow coverage of the 2026 Kentucky Derby throughout the day.You’re going to pick the Kentucky Derby winner this year.We all are.All we need to do is find the right clue, or the right system, or the right expert.Will the winner be determined, or divined, by the horse’s name, silk colors or jockey? (You could do worse than "Big Money" Mike Smith, the Hall-of-Famer who will be riding So Happy.)Or will the winner emerge from the Beyer Speed Figures, a rating system devised by journalist and handicapper Andrew Beyer. (If so, your horse is Further Ado, whose 106 Beyer Speed Figure from the Blue Grass Stakes last month is the highest in the field.)Or maybe you got a connection to Bill Benter, the former physicist whose computer algorithm has reportedly earned him $1 billion in horse betting.But with time running out, our focus is on four handicappers.The importance of horse psychologyKerry M. Thomas, an equine behavior specialist, studies racehorses in search of something most bettors probably overlook.The horse's psychological profile. Preferably one that can help withstand the rigors of racing."I really don't look at anything physical before I look at anything psychological because