The Kentucky Derby is again this weekend with guests and viewers alike getting ready their extravagant hats and mint juleps for the annual Run for the Roses.
The storied occasion takes place Saturday, Might 2, at Churchill Downs in Louisville. This 12 months marks the 152nd version of the primary leg of the Triple Crown, probably the most prestigious horse racing occasions worldwide.
Final 12 months’s race broke viewership records, bringing its broadcaster, NBC, round 21.8 million viewers, the best in nearly three many years.
Whereas as much as 20 horses can run the race, three of the qualifying 3-year-old thoroughbreds have already been scratched from this 12 months’s occasion.
To race within the Kentucky Derby, contestants should qualify via a collection of prep occasions hosted all over the world. Horses that accumulate probably the most factors throughout the races then earn a coveted spot on the Kentucky-based race. No matter climate, contestants will race a 1.25-mile observe.
Horse racing additionally comes with betting, with this 12 months’s Kentucky Derby that includes a $5 million total purse, with $3.1 million allotted to the winner.
Easy methods to watch the 2026 Kentucky Derby
Those that are unable to attend in particular person can watch the Kentucky Derby on NBC through conventional TV or stream it through the NBC Sports activities app or a Peacock subscription.
Programming is ready to start at 2:30 p.m. ET, that includes the Kentucky Derby undercard, a collection of high-stakes races providing extra betting alternatives for followers. Early protection will begin at midday ET on Peacock for all 9 undercard races.
The flagship Run for the Roses kicks off at 6:57 p.m., and is dubbed the “The Best Two Minutes in Sports activities,” because it concludes at across the two-minute mark.
