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2025 Kentucky Derby: Everything you need to know to watch 151st running at Churchill Downs

Steve Gardner   Paste BN
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Kentucky Derby week has arrived and "the most exciting two minutes in sports" is now less than a week away.

As the first leg of the American horse racing Triple Crown, the Kentucky Derby is the most-watched and highest-attended horse race in the United States. This year's running at historic Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, will be the 151st in the race's illustrious history.

One of the biggest story lines for this year's Derby is the return of legendary trainer Bob Baffert to the track for the first time in four years. Baffert's Medina Spirit won the race in 2021, but was disqualified afterward for a positive drug test. That resulted in Baffert being banned from Churchill Downs for three years, a suspension that ends with this year's Derby.

Here's everything you need to know about the 2025 Kentucky Derby:

Kentucky Derby 2025: TV, streaming and where to watch

  • When: Saturday, May 3
  • Coverage starts: 2:30 p.m. ET
  • Post time: 7:02 p.m. ET
  • Where: Churchill Downs; Louisville, Kentucky
  • TV: NBC
  • Streaming: Peacock; YouTube TV; Fubo

How are starting positions decided in 2025 Kentucky Derby?

Each year, Churchill Downs decides the starting post position of each horse with a draw. One official pulls a piece of paper with a horse's name out of a pile while another draws a paper with a gate number out of a separate pile.

This year's Kentucky Derby draw was held on Saturday, April 26.

2025 Kentucky Derby post positions

Here's where each horse landed, in addition to the horse's jockey and odds in parentheses:

1. Citizen Bull, Bob Baffert, Martin Garcia, 17-1

2. Neoequos, Saffie Joseph Jr., Luis Saez, 57-1

3. Final Gambit, Brad Cox, Luan Machado, 17-1

4. Rodriguez, Bob Baffert, Mike Smith, 8-1 — SCRATCHED

5. American Promise, D. Wayne Lukas, Nik Juarez, 13-1

6. Admire Daytona, Yukihiro Kato, Christophe Lemaire, 39-1

7. Luxor Cafe, Noriyuki Hori, Joao Moreira, 15-1

8. Journalism, Michael McCarthy, Umberto Rispoli, 7-2

9. Burnham Square, Ian Wilkes, Brian Hernandez Jr., 19-1

10. Grande, Todd Pletcher, John Velazquez, 19-1 — SCRATCHED

11. Flying Mohawk, Whit Beckman, Joe Ramos, 36-1

12. East Avenue, Brendan Walsh, Manny Franco, 33-1

13. Publisher, Steve Asmussen, Irad Ortiz Jr., 30-1

14. Tiztastic, Steve Asmussen, Joel Rosario, 20-1

15. Render Judgment, Kenny McPeek, Julien Leparoux, 13-1

16. Coal Battle, Lonnie Briley, Juan Vargas, 30-1

17. Sandman, Mark Casse, Jose Ortiz, 5-1

18. Sovereignty, Bill Mott, Junior Alvarado, 11-1

19. Chunk of Gold, Ethan West, Jareth Loveberry, 33-1

20. Owen Almighty, Brian Lynch, Javier Castellano, 44-1

21. Baeza, John Shirreffs, Flavien Prat, 50-1

Kentucky Derby winners, by post position

History shows horses on the inside, starting from positions one to 10, are much more likely to win the Derby than those starting on the outside. Here are the all-time Derby winners by post position:

  • 1 - 8
  • 2- 7
  • 3 - 6
  • 4 - 5
  • 5 - 10
  • 6 - 2
  • 7 - 8
  • 8 - 9
  • 9 - 4
  • 10 - 9
  • 11 - 2
  • 12 - 3
  • 13 - 5

How many horses race in the Kentucky Derby?

Each year's Kentucky Derby features 20 horses. They qualify from the United States as well as the "Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby" and "European Road to the Kentucky Derby," according to the official race website.

How long is the Kentucky Derby?

The annual Kentucky Derby is 1 1/4 miles of racing, or 10 furlongs. It is about two kilometers.

What is the Kentucky Derby record?

Secretariat set the record at Churchill Downs in 1973 with a time of 1:59.4.

When is the Kentucky Oaks 2025?

The Kentucky Oaks, the Derby's sister race, is a stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies, or female horses. This year's Kentucky Oaks will take place one day before the Kentucky Derby – Friday, May 3, 2024.

Odds for 2025 Kentucky Derby

Here are the odds for the 2025 Kentucky Derby from the Louisville Courier-Journal, listed in order of post position.

(This story has been updated with news that Rodriguez and Grande were scratched from the 2025 Kentucky Derby on Thursday and Friday, respectively).

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