Golden Tempo won the 2026 Kentucky Derby on Saturday at 23-1 closing odds, surging past Renegade, who had been the 4-1 morning-line favorite and finished second. The result gave the race a new upset winner and left the favorite chasing from the runner-up spot.
The victory fits into a Derby history that has produced plenty of long-shot surprises, even if few have matched the extremes. Donerail won in 1913 at 91-1, the longest odds ever to win the Derby, and Rich Strike pulled off a stunning 2022 victory as an 80-1 long shot. More recently, Sovereignty won the 2025 Derby with Junior Alvarado aboard at 7-1 and paid $17.96 for a $2 win bet.
That is the backdrop for the list of Kentucky Derby closing odds for winners since 2000, a ledger that shows how quickly the race can turn against the bettors and the betting board. Renegade drew the No. 1 post and still could not turn favoritism into a win, while Golden Tempo delivered the kind of result that makes Derby odds look fragile no matter how confident they appear before the gate opens.
The main question now is whether Golden Tempo can turn this one-race breakthrough into something more lasting, because Derby winners are remembered for much more than the number next to their name on the board.
