Kentucky Derby Horse Profile: Renegade

Feb 10, 2026 John Mucciolo/TwinSpires.com

Renegade wins the Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. (Photo by SV Photo)

Robert and Lawana Low and Mike Repole’s three-year-old horse, named Renegade, picked up 20 qualifying points on the 2026 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series leaderboard after dominating his foes late by 3 3/4 lengths in the $210,000 Sam F. Davis (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 7. The colt who is trained by Todd Pletcher and was ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr. ran 1 1/16 miles on the fast dirt surface in 1:43.54 to register his first career win.

Wayne’s Law, The Puma, Game for It, and Epic Desire finished second through fifth and earned Derby qualifying points on a 10-6-4-2 structure.

“I was very pleased with his race,” Pletcher said. “I thought it was impressive considering he got shuffled back a little bit and was then pretty far back on a track that seemed like it was playing kindly to horses up close. He had to put in a pretty wide move, but I thought he really leveled off the last part (of the race) and finished up strongly. I thought it was a perfect start to his 3-year-old campaign.”

Renegade, renegade 💃📱

RENEGADE launched on the outside and dances in the Sam F. Davis and picks up 20 @kentuckyderby points! 🌹

Todd Pletcher trains and @iradortiz was aboard!

🎥 #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/DMZZucgcar

— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) February 7, 2026

Renegade finished third in a sprint race at Saratoga Race Course in his initial performance. In his second try, the colt crossed the wire in first only to be disqualified and placed second in a maiden special weight race at Aqueduct behind exciting prospect Paladin. Prior to his win at Tampa Bay, the three-year-old finished runner-up in the Remsen (G2) while making his final run of 2025. From four lifetime races, his record reads 4-1-2-1, $199,000.

The winner was bred by his co-owners Robert and Lawana Low, and he attracted a final bid of a whopping $975,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He was produced from the Grade-3 winning Curlin mare named Spice Is Nice, who won more than $259,000 in her career. His second dam was the high-class Dame Dorothy, who captured the 2015 Humana Distaff (G1) at Churchill Downs.

Renegade has improved his Brisnet Speed rating with every race to date (72-91-96-97), and the 111 Brisnet Late Pace rating that he earned in the Sam F. Davis is an excellent indication that he will thrive with more distance in future races on the Triple Crown Trail.