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.
