When is the Kentucky Derby?
The Kentucky Derby is on Saturday, May 3rd , 2025.
Where is the Kentucky Derby?
The Kentucky Derby takes place at Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky.
Where can I watch the Kentucky Derby?
Watch the Kentucky Derby live on TV with NBC at 5:00 pm EST.
What time is the Kentucky Derby?
The Kentucky Derby is typically the 8th race of the day at Churchill Downs. The Derby usually starts at approximately 6PM EST.
Betting on Kentucky Derby is one of the most entertaining traditions in North America. From small bets between friends in pubs to big money horse bets at offtrack horse betting parlours, placing a wager on the Race for the Roses is a great way to increase the entertainment value for horse racing fans.
The Kentucky Derby is the most famous graded stake shorse race for three-year-old thoroughbred horses and it takes place in Louisville, Kentucky on the first Saturday in May. Capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival, the Race for the Roses currently covers one and one-quarter miles (2.012 km) at Churchill Downs; colts and geldings carry 126 pounds (57 kg), fillies 121 pounds (55 kg).
Known as “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” for its approximate time length, the Kentucky Derby is the first leg of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Horse Racing in the United States. It typically draws around 155,000 fans. The Kentucky Derby is one of the crown jewels of the mystical (and maddening) Triple Crown which includes the Belmont Stakes located at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York and the Preakness Stakes which is located at Pimlico Race Track in Baltimore, Maryland.
2025 Kentucky Derby Prep Race Schedule
| Date | Race | Track | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 11, 2024 | Remington Springboard Mile | Remington Park | 10-5-3-2-1 |
| December 14, 2024 | Los Alamitos Futurity | Los Alamitos Race Course | 10-5-3-2-1 |
| December 21, 2024 | Gun Runner Stakes | Fair Grounds Race Course | 10-5-3-2-1 |
| December 21, 2024 | Breeders’ Futurity(GI) | Keeneland Racecourse | 10-5-3-2-1 |
| January 4, 2025 | Jerome Stakes | Aqueduct Racetrack | 10-5-3-2-1 |
| January 4, 2025 | Smarty Jones Stakes | Oaklawn Park | 10-5-3-2-1 |
| January 18, 2025 | Lecomte Stakes (GIII) | Fair Grounds Race Course | 20-10-6-4-2 |
| January 25, 2025 | Southwest Stakes (GIII) | Oaklawn Park | 20-10-6-4-2 |
| February 1, 2025 | Holy Bull Stakes (GIII) | Gulfstream Park | 10-5-3-2-1 |
| February 1, 2025 | Robert B. Lewis Stakes (GIII) | Santa Anita Park | 20-10-6-4-2 |
| February 1, 2025 | Withers Stakes (GIII) | Aqueduct Racetrack | 10-5-3-2-1 |
| February 8, 2025 | Sam F. Davis (GIII) | Tampa Bay Downs | 20-10-6-4-2 |
| February 15, 2025 | Risen Star Stakes (GII) | Fair Grounds Race Course | 50-25-15-10-5 |
My First Kentucky Derby Bet
By the US Racing Team
I remember placing my first bet at the Kentucky Derby online.
It was in 2005, and I decided to bet on a horse called Giacomo being ridden by Hall of Fame jockey, Mike Smith. Giacomo was certainly not a favorite.
What were the odds? 50-1. Yes, the same odds as Mine that Bird who won in 2009!
The only horse with worse odds who won the derby was Donerail who started at 91-1! So, odds don’t tell the full story with the horse and jockey who end up winning the garland of red roses in Lousiville.
Anyway, Giacomo was named after the singer Sting’s son. Jerry Moss was the owner - Jerry Moss and Herb Albert (yes, of the Whipped Cream and Other Delights!) were the founders of A&M Records. Sting performed and recorded under that label as a solo act and also when he was in the rock group The Police.
Giacomo is Italian for James. Ironically, Giacomo has a half-brother named Tiago which in Portugese means James!
But, I digress. . .
So, why did I bet on Giacomo at that year’s Derby?
Let’s put it this way: I’m a sucker for the underdog. If there was a horse called Rocky, I would have bet on him based on principle.
I didn’t bet on Charismatic at the 1999 Kentucky Derby (I would have if I was there- he was a long shot, too—31-1 odds) but I bet on Lemon Drop Kid at the 1999 Belmont Stakes.
It’s not that I wasn’t on the Charismatic bandwagon—I wasn’t a Triple Crown hater.
I bet Lemon Drop Kid because my sister loved lemon drops (I think it was the Cosmopolitan drink of ’99 before Sex and the City ushered in Cosmos). I wasn’t following racing back then—I didn’t know Chris Antley’s story and Charismatic’s, either.
So, now the Derby is coming close. The first Saturday in May, it’s easy to remember. And it always takes place at Churchill Downs.
I hope that if you are betting on the Kentucky Derby for the first time you will consider a long shot. Bet for the underdog. Sometimes, he may not have fleas. Sometimes, he might just rise to the occasion. And sometimes. . . just sometimes, a 50-1 long shot will put a bankroll in your pocket!
Good luck with your bets and everybody at US Racing hopes you pick a winner! (If you happen to lose, we wish you have an extra mint julep at arm’s length.).
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