LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Kentucky Derby, dubbed the "Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports," celebrates its 150th anniversary this year, extending its run as America's longest continuously held sporting event.
The prestigious horse race in Louisville, Kentucky, is the first leg of the Triple Crown.
The annual "Run for the Roses" features 20 horses and is expected to draw 150,000 mint julep-sipping fans and their fabulous and flamboyant hats.
Here's what to know about the Kentucky Derby.
What time is the Kentucky Derby?
Post time for the Kentucky Derby is 6:57 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 4, 2024.
Live coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC. There are more than a dozen other races on Derby day, which start as early as 10:30 a.m.
How to watch the Kentucky Derby
The race will air on NBC, NBC Sports and the NBC Sports app, and stream on NBCSports.com and Peacock.
Peacock subscriptions start at $5.99 a month.
NBC Sports Audio (channel 85 on SiriusXM radio and the SiriusXM app) will begin coverage at 10 a.m. Telemundo Deportes will have Derby coverage Saturday starting at 6:30 p.m. on Universo, and streaming on TelemundoDeportes.com and the Telemundo app.
What’s the Kentucky Derby forecast?
Saturday’s forecast is for a high around 79 degrees (26 Celsius) with a 40% chance of rain. The last sloppy track for the Derby was in 2019, when Country House was declared the winner after a 22-minute review by the stewards. Maximum Security crossed the line first, but was disqualified for interference. The Churchill dirt strip has been listed as fast the last four derbies.
What to watch at the Kentucky Derby
A pre-race tradition is the walkover, when the horses are led from the stables to the paddock where they are saddled for the race. Some are cool and calm, others get fractious and sweaty. Accompanying them are usually the grooms, trainers and owners. The riders emerge from the jockeys' room and walk to the paddock to meet their mounts.
Besides the horses, check out the crowd decked out in huge hats and fascinators, floral-print dresses and seersucker suits that make the Derby the world's most fashionable sporting event. Retired NFL quarterback Tom Brady is expected to be among the celebrities in attendance. He is friends with Mike Repole, who owns Fierceness. Retired outfielder Jayson Werth co-owns Dornach, a long shot named for a golf club in Scotland.
Who are the Kentucky Derby favorites?
Fierceness was the 5-2 morning-line favorite (9-5 Thursday). Trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by John Velazquez, the bay colt will break from the No. 17 post, which has never produced a Derby winner. Fierceness won the Florida Derby by 13 1/2 lengths in his last race.
Sierra Leone was the early second choice at 3-1 (6-1 Thursday). The dark bay/brown colt cost $2.3 million, making him the highest-priced runner in the full field of 20. He is trained by Chad Brown and ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, who are a combined 0 for 13 in the Derby.
Catching Freedom was the early third choice at 8-1 (9-1 Thursday). The bay colt is trained by Louisville native Brad Cox and ridden by Flavien Prat.
Other choices included Just a Touch (17-1 Thursday) and Forever Young (8-1). Cox also trains Just a Touch, who is co-owned by Sheikh Fahad Al Thani of Qatar. The bay colt did not race at age 2, and neither did his sire Justify, who won the Triple Crown in 2018.
Forever Young is one of two Japanese horses in the field. The bay colt is undefeated in five career starts, including the UAE Derby, though winners of that race are 0 for 19 in the Derby.
What does the winner of the Kentucky Derby get?
Churchill Downs increased the total purse for the 150th Derby to $5 million, with the winning owner earning $1.3 million and a gold trophy.
Second place is worth $1 million, with payouts down to fifth place. The winning horse is draped in a hand-sewn blanket of red roses.
The winning jockey typically earns 10% of the purse and a smaller trophy.