One of the most legendary events on the American sporting calendar takes place Saturday as the Kentucky Derby kicks off in Louisville.
Whether referred to as the “Run for the Roses” or the “Greatest Two Minutes in Sports,” the Derby has become an iconic fixture and a rite of passage each spring, with the sport’s greatest legends taking center stage at Churchill Downs.
This year’s field features a prohibitive favorite in Journalism, as well as the return of Bob Baffert, who served a three-year suspension after Medina Spirit tested positive for a banned substance and later died of a heart attack during a training run.
He’ll be fielding Citizen Bull in this year’s race, racing out of the No. 1 post position and aiming to give Baffert a record-setting seventh Kentucky Derby win.
Here’s everything else you need to know about the race.
When is the race taking place?
Prerace festivities get underway Saturday morning, with NBC and Peacock picking up coverage at 1:30 p.m. Central time.
Post time for the race, the point in time when betting closes, is at 5:57 p.m. Central. The race itself will take place just after 6 p.m. Central time, and it will be over in a flash, typically lasting just over two minutes.
How long has the race existed?
The first Kentucky Derby was held 150 years ago on May 17,1875, and this year’s race marks the 151st running of the iconic event.
Which horses run in the event?
The Kentucky Derby field is made up of three-year-old thoroughbred horses, running 1.25 miles around the iconic Churchill Downs track in Louisville, Kentucky.
Which horse holds the record in the race?
The legendary Secretariat set the speed record in 1973, running the race in a blistering 1 minute, 59.4 seconds. Only one other horse has ever completed the race in less than two minutes, with Monarchos winning the Derby in 2001 with a time of 1:59.97.
Last year’s winner was Mystik Dan, who put up a time of 2:03.34.
Who are the favorites to win the Derby?
The morning line favorite at Churchill Downs is still Journalism, coming in at 3-to-1 odds of winning the race.
Racing out of the No. 18 post position is Sovereignty at 5-to-1 morning line odds, followed by Sandman, racing out of the No. 17 post at 6-to-1.
Burnham Square is at 12-to-1 to win the race, with Luxor Café at 15-to-1.
When are the other two legs of the Triple Crown?
The Preakness Stakes will take place two weeks from Saturday on May 17 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. The Belmont Stakes will wrap up the Triple Crown season on June 7 at Saratoga Race Course in New York, as Belmont Park is undergoing renovations.
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