If purchase price were the most important indicator of a horse’s racing success, there would be a runaway favorite for the 2026 Kentucky Derby.

But the betting favorites do not include the most expensive horse in the field.

That distinction goes to Bob Baffert-trained Potente, who was purchased for $2.4 million at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling sale in 2024. Potente would be the fifth-most expensive horse to start the Derby and the seventh ever purchased for at least $2 million at public auction.

Despite his hefty purchase price, Potente was listed at 20-1 in the morning-line odds. Seven other horses have better odds.

History suggests Potente’s Derby chances should be viewed with skepticism.

Since 1960, 33 Derby winners have been purchased at a public auction. Only one of those horses (Fusaichi Pegasus, $4 million) was purchased for more than $575,000.

Kentucky Derby's most expensive horses

Since 1982, 26 Kentucky Derby starters have been purchased for at least $1 million at public auction, but only one has won the race.

Year, Horse, Price, Finish

2000, Fusaichi Pegasus, $4 million, 1st

2009, Dunkirk, $3.7 million, 11th

2018, Mendelssohn, $3 million, 20th

1989, Houston, $2.9 million, 8th

2024, Sierra Leone, $2.3 million, 2nd

2009, Desert Party, $2.1 million, 14th

2001, Talk Is Money, $1.8 million, 17th

2022, Taiba, $1.7 million, 12th

2015, Carpe Diem, $1.6 million, 10th

2007, Cowtown Cat, $1.5 million, 20th

1996, Unbridled's Song, $1.4 million, 5th

2000, Exchange Rate, $1.4 million, 12th

2004, Lion Heart, $1.4 million, 2nd

2006, A.P. Warrior, $1.3 million, 18th

2023, Tapit Trice, $1.3 million, 7th

2001, Millennium Ward, $1.2 million, 11th

2017, Tapwrit, $1.2 million 6th

2025, Baeza, $1.2 million, 3rd

2025, Sandman, $1.2 million, 7th

2005, Noble Causeway, $1.15 million, 14th

2007, Any Given Saturday, $1.1 million, 8th

2000, High Yield, $1.05 million, 15th

2018, Instilled Regard, $1.05 million, 4th

1983, Chumming, $1 million, 12th

2001, Songandaprayer, $1 million, 13th

2018, Good Magic, $1 million, 2nd

Fusaichi Pegasus holds the distinction of most expensive Derby horse purchased at a public auction since 1982, but only four of the other 25 Derby starters purchased for at least $1 million in that span have even finished in the money.

Baeza and Sandman, the two most expensive horses in last year’s Derby field at $1.2 million, finished third and seventh respectively. The last two Derby winners were homebreds, meaning they were bred by their current owners.

The last Derby horse purchased for more than $2 million (Sierra Leone, $2.3 million) did finish in second place in 2024, but the most recent before him (Mendelssohn, $3 million) finished last in 2018. Fusaichi Pegasus and Sierra Leone are the only $2 million horses to finish in the money in the Derby. The other four finished eighth or worst.

Potente will need an improvement in performance to have a chance Saturday.

In his last race, he helped set the early pace in the Santa Anita Derby but finished in second 2 3/4 lengths behind fellow Derby horse So Happy. Potente did not race as a 2-year-old and has never raced outside of Santa Anita Park.

Potente cost more than twice as much as any other horse in the 2026 Kentucky Derby field, but the second-most expensive horse (Renegade, $950,000) is the morning-line favorite at 4-1.

The cheapest horse in Saturday’s field (Incredibolt, $75,000) has the same 20-1 morning-line odds as Potente. He would be the cheapest Derby winner since I’ll Have Another ($35,000) in 2012.

There are four homebreds in the field. Four of the last five and five of the last eight Derby winners have been homebreds.

Kentucky Derby 152 sale prices

Prices brought at the last sale for horses in Kentucky Derby 152 on Saturday, May 2, 2026.

Number, Horse, Price

1: Renegade, $975,000

2: Albus, $320,000

3: Intrepido, $385,000

4: Litmus Test, $875,000

5: Right to Party, $325,000

6: Commandment, $500,000

7: Danon Bourbon, $450,000

8: So Happy, $150,000

9: The Puma, $150,000

10: Wonder Dean, Homebred

11: Incredibolt, $75,000

12: Chief Wallabee, Homebred

13: Silent Tactic, $500,000

14: Potente, $2,400,000

15Emerging Market$185,000

16: Pavlovian, Homebred

17: Six Speed, $304,680

18: Further Ado, $550,000

19: Golden Tempo, Homebred

20: Fulleffort, $425,000

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