What time does the 151st Kentucky Derby start? Answering your 2025 questions
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2025 Kentucky Derby coverage
Click below to view more coverage from the Lexington Herald-Leader and Kentucky.com at the 151st Kentucky Derby on May 3 at Churchill Downs in Louisville.
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The pageantry and spectacle of the 151st Kentucky Derby is well underway in Louisville, and even some rain isn’t dampening the excitement.
You can follow along with live updates during the day with Herald-Leader.
Whether you’re dodging rain drops at Churchill Downs or watching the race from home, here are some answers to common questions, including when the big race starts and how you can watch it.
What time is the Kentucky Derby this year?
Races will be held throughout the day at Louisville’s Churchill Downs, but the post time for the 151st Run for the Roses is at 6:57 p.m. EDT Saturday, May 3, 2025.
How long is the Kentucky Derby?
The Kentucky Derby is often referred to as the most exciting or greatest 2 minutes in sports, but the entire event, held on the first Saturday in May, lasts throughout the day with a total of 14 races and plenty of betting. The Run for the Roses is race 12. There’s a week of official events held every year in Louisville leading up to the Derby.
Who won the 2025 Kentucky Oaks?
Good Cheer ridden by Luis Saez beat a field of 3-year-old fillies and won the 151st edition of the Kentucky Oaks. It marks Saez’s second Oaks win as a jockey. His first was on Secret Oath in 2022.
Good Cheer ran from post position No. 10, and is a Godolphin homebred. Her sire is Medaglia d’Oro and her dam is Wedding Toast.
Which horses are the best mudders in the 2025 Kentucky Derby?
If the rain makes for muddy or sloppy track conditions at Churchill Downs, it will be a new experience for most of 19 horses competing.
Only six horses in this year’s race have run on wet tracks. The favorite, Journalism, isn’t among them.
Who are the fastest horses in the 2025 Derby?
Before scratching Thursday due to a minor foot bruise, Rodriguez was reportedly the fastest horse in the field with an Equibase speed figure of 111 recorded for his Wood Memorial Victory April 5 in New York. Rodriguez is trained by six-time Derby winner Bob Baffert.
Journalism, the favorite, is the fastest horse behind Rodriguez.
Which celebrities are making an appearance at this year’s Kentucky Derby?
Celebrities, athletes and politicians walked the Kentucky Derby’s red carpet in style Saturday.
American restaurateur, author and Emmy Award winning TV presenter Guy Fieri rocked the Derby’s red carpet in a stunning pink jacket. Former UK basketball star Oscar Tshiebwe could also be seen sporting a cowboy hat in a bright blue suit.
Read through the Herald-Leader’s predictions for which celebs may make an appearance on the red carpet at Churchill Downs.
Who won the Derby last year?
Longshot Mystik Dan, who went off with 18-1 odds, won an electrifying three-way photo finish over Sierra Leone and Forever Young in 2024. Mystik Dan’s jockey, 38-year-old Brian Hernandez, was winless on four Derby starts prior to his 2024 victory. At the time, he described winning the Kentucky Derby as the fulfillment of a childhood dream.
“When I was a 6-year-old kid riding my bike around my grandparents’ farm, telling them all I was going to win the Kentucky Derby one day, and here we are,” Hernandez said.
Where can I find 2025 Kentucky Derby odds?
The Herald-Leader’s sports writers are updating each horse’s odds throughout the day up until race time. As of 1:45 p.m. EDT Saturday, the odds for the favorite, Journalism, stood at 7-2.
How can I follow the Derby live?
For live coverage, get up to speed with everything you need to know about the Greatest Two Minutes in Sports with our Kentucky Derby 151 fan guide.
We’ve also put together a guide to follow the action at home if you aren’t planning a trip to Churchill Downs.
This story was originally published May 3, 2025 at 1:45 PM.