When is the Kentucky Derby? Schedule and favorites for Saturday's race
Share this @internewscast.com

The first Saturday in May is synonymous with mint juleps, elaborate hats and 19 horses stampeding around Churchill Downs.

WASHINGTON — The first Saturday in May means it’s time for the 151st Kentucky Derby, America’s longest continuously held sporting event.

The sight of nineteen horses charging 1 1/4 miles around Churchill Downs transcends a mere race. It draws approximately 150,000 fans under the iconic Twin Spires for a day that blends fashion, festivities, and enduring traditions like sipping mint juleps, singing “My Old Kentucky Home,” and presenting the winner with a garland of red roses.

Here’s your guide to the 2025 Kentucky Derby.

What time does the Kentucky Derby start?

The official post time for the race is 6:57 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday.

How to watch the Kentucky Derby

Catch the Derby Day festivities starting at noon Eastern on USA Network, with streaming available through Peacock. NBC and Peacock will broadcast from 2:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., while Telemundo Deportes covers the event from 6:30 p.m. on Universo as well as via the Telemundo app. FanDuel TV will air all Churchill Downs races except for the Derby.

What to watch: Race traditions

A hallmark pre-race tradition is the walkover, where horses are led from the stables to the paddock in preparation for the race. While some horses remain composed, others might become restless and start sweating. They proceed along the track’s rail, encouraged by cheering fans. Meanwhile, jockeys leave their room to make their way to the paddock and join their horses.

Besides the sleek thoroughbreds, check out the crowd decked out in hats and fascinators, floral-print dresses and seersucker suits that make the Derby the world’s most fashionable sporting event.

Who are the favorites to win the Kentucky Derby?

Journalism was the 3-1 morning-line favorite. The Southern California-based colt is trained by Michael McCarthy and ridden by Umberto Rispoli. Journalism will break from the No. 8 post, which has had nine winners, the last being Mage in 2023. He has won four races in a row. The morning-line favorite has won 18 times, the last was Justify in 2018.

Sovereignty was the early second choice at 5-1. The Florida Derby winner is trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott and ridden by Junior Alvarado. He drew the No. 18 post, putting him outside most of the 20-horse field.

Third choice on the morning line was Sandman at 6-1 odds. The Arkansas Derby winner is trained by Mark Casse and ridden by Jose Ortiz. He will break from post 17, which has never produced a winner.

Horses to keep an eye on

Six-time Derby winner Bob Baffert is back after serving a three-year suspension by Churchill Downs. He scratched Rodriguez, who won the Wood Memorial with a front-running style, on Thursday. That leaves Baffert with 20-1 long shot Citizen Bull, last year’s 2-year-old champion. He drew the dreaded No. 1 post with Martin Garcia aboard. No horse has won from the inside post since 1986.

Hall of Famer trainer D. Wayne Lukas saddles his 51st Derby starter — second-most ever — with 30-1 shot American Promise. He has four Derby victories and at 89, he would be the oldest trainer to win. The colt drew the No. 5 post, which has had the most Derby winners with 10.

With Rodriguez scratched, Baeza moves into the field. The colt was runner-up in last month’s Santa Anita Derby and is trained by John Shirreffs, best known for guiding superstar Zenyatta and winning the Derby in 2005 with Giacomo at 50-1.

Grande, a 20-1 shot, was scratched on Friday with a sore foot, leaving 19 horses in the starting gate.

Who is eligible to run in the Derby?

While some of the owners, trainers and jockeys are the same from year to year, the horses never are. The Derby is for male and female 3-year-olds only, meaning a horse is eligible just once in its career. Only three fillies have won, the last was in 1988.

Celebrity connections in this year’s Kentucky Derby

The late country singer Toby Keith’s Dream Walkin Farms is a part-owner of 30-1 shot Render Judgment.

Former Philadelphia Phillies star Jayson Werth, whose stable is Two Eight Racing in a nod to his old jersey number, is a co-owner of Flying Mohawk, also at 30-1.

Grammy-nominated singer Grace Potter performs the national anthem on Derby Day. Seven-time Olympic champion gymnast Simone Biles gives the “Riders’ up!” call, signaling the jockeys to climb aboard.

What does the winner get?

For the second straight year, the Derby total purse is $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’s breeding rights are likely to soar. The winning jockey typically receives 10% of the purse and a smaller trophy.

Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.     

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like
Reaping What You Sow: AOC Townhall Descends Into Chaos As Protester Shrieks, 'You're a Liar!'

Town Hall Turns Chaotic as Protester Accuses AOC of Lying

Remember: no matter how woke you are, there’s always someone even woker:…
Group left stranded for 36 hours in alligator-infested waters

Group Stranded for 36 Hours in Alligator-Infested Waters

A group that found themselves stranded in alligator-infested waters following an emergency…
Nigel Farage giving a thumbs-up and reacting excitedly.

Nigel Farage announces his intention to challenge prominent Labour figures Yvette Cooper and Ed Miliband for their parliamentary seats.

VICTORIOUS Nigel Farage has warned Yvette Cooper and Ed Miliband “we are…
Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial to delve into the seediest side of rap's 'bad boy'

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Trial Set to Explore the Darker Aspects of Rap’s ‘Bad Boy’ Image

NEW YORK (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs, the renowned hip-hop mogul, was…
NC officials capture 3rd suspect days after illegal immigrants kidnap mom, daughter at gunpoint: police

North Carolina Authorities Arrest Third Suspect in Gunpoint Kidnapping of Mother and Daughter by Illegal Immigrants, Police Report

North Carolina authorities reported on Friday the detention of a third individual…
Warren Buffett to step down from Berkshire Hathaway: Report

Report: Warren Buffett to Retire from Berkshire Hathaway

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett, a legendary figure, has revealed his decision to…
Minneapolis police arrest suspect in mass shooting that left 4 dead, 1 injured

Minneapolis Police Detain Suspect in Shooting Spree Resulting in 4 Fatalities, 1 Injury

Minneapolis police announced late Thursday that a suspect involved in a mass…
US readies Russia sanctions over Ukraine, unclear if Trump will sign, sources say

US Prepares Russia Sanctions for Ukraine Crisis; Trump’s Decision Unknown, Sources Report

U.S. officials have finalized a set of new economic sanctions against Russia,…
Alan and Karen Carter sitting together outdoors with wine.

Three Unresolved Mysteries Surrounding the Intense Murder of a 69-Year-Old British Woman in a French Village as Police Search Nearby Woods for Evidence

SEVERAL unanswered questions still remain over Brit mum Karen Carter’s brutal murder…

Shocking Incident: TikToker Fatally Shot in Execution-Style Attack During Livestream

THIS is the chilling moment a beloved TikTok personality was brutally shot…
Wow: D.C. Circuit Hands Trump Administration a Huge Win That Will Have Far-Reaching Implications

Impressive: D.C. Circuit Delivers Major Victory to Trump Administration with Wide-Ranging Consequences

The Trump administration achieved a significant victory on Saturday in the D.C.…
Two scientists in protective suits working in a laboratory.

Experts Claim China is Anxious as Global Consensus Points to COVID Lab Leak Theory

CHINA’S brazen claim that the Covid pandemic started in the US “smacks…