Kentucky Derby free live stream: How to watch the 2026 Triple Crown horse race without cable originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Arguably the most iconic sporting event in the country, the Kentucky Derby is returning to Churchill Downs for the 152nd running on Saturday.
The first leg of the Triple Crown kicks off this weekend as the top 20 thoroughbreds in the world take to the track. Following the draw last week there are already a few favorites in the field, like Renegade (5-1), The Puma (5-1), So Happy (6-1), Further Ado (7-1) and Commandment (8-1).
While some horses might be more popular picks than others, history has proved that underdogs tend to shine at Churchill Downs. Post position 5 has produced the most winners at the Run for the Roses with 10, followed closely by Post 10 with nine.
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Here’s everything you need to know about the 2026 Kentucky Derby, including streaming options to watch the historic Triple Crown race without cable.
Kentucky Derby free live stream
- Live streams:DIRECTV
For viewers without a traditional cable or satellite package, broadcast coverage of the 2026 Kentucky Derby will be available to stream on DIRECTV. See the TV schedule below.
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Kentucky Derby 2026 TV schedule
- TV channels: NBC
Live coverage of Friday’s Kentucky Oaks and several races leading up to and including Saturday’s Kentucky Derby will air on NBC. Fans can stream all of NBC’s coverage via DIRECTV.
| Date | Event | Time (ET) | TV/Live stream |
| Friday, May 1 | Kentucky Oaks | 8 p.m. | NBC, DIRECTV |
| Saturday, May 2 | Kentucky Derby and earlier races | 2:30 p.m. | NBC, DIRECTV |
Kentucky Derby race schedule 2026
- Dates: Friday, May 1 | Saturday, May 2
Nearly 30 total races will be run on Friday, May 1, and Saturday, May 2. The Kentucky Oaks is expected to start around 8:40 p.m. ET on Friday, and the Kentucky Derby should begin at approximately 6:57 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Friday, May 1
| Race | Post time (ET) |
| 1 | 12:30 p.m. |
| 2 | 1 p.m. |
| 3 | 1:30 p.m. |
| 4 | 2 p.m. |
| 5 | 2:35 p.m. |
| 6 | 3:12 p.m. |
| 7 | 3:48 p.m. |
| 8 | 4:30 p.m. |
| 9 | 5:12 p.m. |
| 10 | 6:01 p.m. |
| 11 | 6:56 p.m. |
| 12 | 7:40 p.m. |
| 13 | 8:40 p.m. (Kentucky Oaks) |
Saturday, May 2
| Race | Post time (ET) |
| 1 | 11 a.m. |
| 2 | 11:32 a.m. |
| 3 | 12:05 p.m. |
| 4 | 12:38 p.m. |
| 5 | 1:12 p.m. |
| 6 | 1:53 p.m. |
| 7 | 2:38 p.m. |
| 8 | 3:23 p.m. |
| 9 | 4:06 p.m. |
| 10 | 4:50 p.m. |
| 11 | 5:39 p.m. (Old Forester Turf Classic) |
| 12 | 6:57 p.m. (Kentucky Derby) |
| 13 | 8 p.m. |
| 14 | 8:33 p.m. |
Kentucky Derby horses 2026: Odds, post positions, jockeys, trainers
Here is the field for this year’s Kentucky Derby, along with each horse’s odds, post position, jockey and trainer.
| Post | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Odds |
| 1 | Renegade | Todd Pletcher | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 4-1 |
| 2 | Albus | Riley Mott | Manny Franco | 30-1 |
| 3 | Intrepido | Jeff Mullins | Hector Berrios | 50-1 |
| 4 | Litmus Test | Bob Baffert | Martin Garcia | 50-1 |
| SCR | ||||
| 6 | Commandment | Brad Cox | Luis Saez | 6-1 |
| 7 | Danon Bourbon | Manabu Ikezoe | Atsuya Nishimura | 20-1 |
| 8 | So Happy | Mark Glatt | Mike Smith | 15-1 |
| SCR | ||||
| 10 | Wonder Dean | Daisuke Takayanagi | Ryusei Sakai | 30-1 |
| 11 | Incredibolt | Riley Mott | Jaime A. Torres | 20-1 |
| 12 | Chief Wallabee | Bill Mott | Junior Alvarado | 8-1 |
| SCR | ||||
| 14 | Potente | Bob Baffert | Juan Hernandez | 20-1 |
| 15 | Emerging Market | Chad Brown | Flavien Prat | 15-1 |
| 16 | Pavlovian | Doug O’Neill | Edwin Maldonado | 30-1 |
| 17 | Six Speed | Bhupat Seemar | Brian Hernandez Jr. | 50-1 |
| 18 | Further Ado | Brad Cox | John Velazquez | 6-1 |
| 19 | Golden Tempo | Cherie DeVaux | Jose Ortiz | 30-1 |
| SCR | ||||
| 21 | Great White | John Ennis | Alex Achard | 50-1 |
| 22 | Ocelli | Whit Beckman | Joe Ramos | 50-1 |
| 23 | Robusta | Doug O’Neill | Cristian Torres | 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 Kentucky Derby than those starting on the outside. Though, nine of the past 15 winners started from posts 13-16.
Here are the all-time Kentucky Derby winners by post position:
| Post position | Derby winners |
| 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 |
| 14 | 2 |
| 15 | 6 |
| 16 | 5 |
| 17 | 0 |
| 18 | 2 |
| 19 | 1 |
| 20 | 2 |