LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The first Saturday in May is always filled with excitement, and this year is no different with the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
The longest continuously held sporting event in the United States is known as the "Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports" and is the first leg of the Triple Crown.
The Derby features 20 horses and is expected to draw 150,000 fans decked out in extravagant hats and dressed to the nines in dapper outfits.
Coverage on NBC begins at 2:30 for the Kentucky Derby, but many always wonder, what time does the race actually start?
What time is the Kentucky Derby?
Post time for the Kentucky Derby is 6:57 p.m. ET on Saturday, May 4, 2024. You may want to tune in a little early around 6:45 p.m. or so to watch any other pre-race coverage as the horses prepare to post at Churchill Downs and NBC previews each horse before the race.
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.
