What channel is the Kentucky Derby on? Post time, live streams, horses and more to watch 2026 Triple Crown race originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Kentucky Derby, known as “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports,” is back! One of the most signature events in the American sports calendar emanates from the legendary Churchill Downs complex.
Dating back to 1875, the 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby is the oldest continuously running sports event in the United States. The opening leg of the Triple Crown features some of the top thoroughbreds, starting at three, racing a 1.25-mile distance.
The event is known for people from all over the U.S. joining together and dressing elegantly to match the “Run for the Roses” nickname.
Some of the biggest winners, several earning Triple Crown status, include Secretariat, American Pharaoh, and Justify. Last year, Sovereignty earned the win.
Here is everything you need to know about the 152nd Kentucky Derby, including the start time, streaming info and horses participating in the race.
How to watch Kentucky Derby 2026: TV channel, live stream
The 152nd Kentucky Derby will air live on NBC. Those looking to live stream the Kentucky Derby can find it on DIRECTV or Peacock, with both streaming services providing coverage of the festivities throughout the day.
Mike Tirico is set to return for his 10th year as the primary host. He will be joined by analysts Jerry Bailey and Randy Moss.
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What time is the Kentucky Derby today?
- Date: Saturday, May 2
- Time: 6:57 p.m. ET
The 152nd Kentucky Derby will take place on Saturday, May 2, 2026, at Churchill Downs. The main event is scheduled for a post time of 6:57 p.m. ET and will serve as the 12th race on a 14-race Saturday card.
Fans can tune in at 2:30 p.m. ET for full coverage of the festivities.
Kentucky Derby horses 2026
Here’s a look at the post positions for the 2026 Kentucky Derby as well as the morning-line odds for the race.
| Post | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Odds |
| 1 | Renegade | Todd Pletcher | Irad Ortiz Jr. | 5-1 |
| 2 | Albus | Riley Mott | Manny Franco | 50-1 |
| 3 | Intrepido | Jeff Mullins | Hector Berrios | 55-1 |
| 4 | Litmus Test | Bob Baffert | Martin Garcia | 34-1 |
| SCR | ||||
| 6 | Commandment | Brad Cox | Luis Saez | 7-1 |
| 7 | Danon Bourbon | Manabu Ikezoe | Atsuya Nishimura | 14-1 |
| 8 | So Happy | Mark Glatt | Mike Smith | 6-1 |
| 9 | The Puma | Gustavo Delgado | Javier Castellano | 8-1 |
| 10 | Wonder Dean | Daisuke Takayanagi | Ryusei Sakai | 20-1 |
| 11 | Incredibolt | Riley Mott | Jaime A. Torres | 27-1 |
| 12 | Chief Wallabee | Bill Mott | Junior Alvarado | 9-1 |
| SCR | ||||
| 14 | Potente | Bob Baffert | Juan Hernandez | 23-1 |
| 15 | Emerging Market | Chad Brown | Flavien Prat | 11-1 |
| 16 | Pavlovian | Doug O’Neill | Edwin Maldonado | 52-1 |
| 17 | Six Speed | Bhupat Seemar | Brian Hernandez Jr. | 40-1 |
| 18 | Further Ado | Brad Cox | John Velazquez | 7-1 |
| 19 | Golden Tempo | Cherie DeVaux | Jose Ortiz | 36-1 |
| SCR | ||||
| 21 | Great White | John Ennis | Alex Achard | 29-1 |
| 22 | Ocelli | Whit Beckman | Joe Ramos | 50-1 |
| 23 | Robusta | Doug O’Neill | Cristian Torres | 50-1 |
Kentucky Derby past winners
| Year | Winner | Jockey | Trainer |
| 2025 | Sovereignty | Junior Alvarado | Bill Mott |
| 2024 | Mystik Dan | Brian Joseph Hernandez Jr. | Kenny McPeek |
| 2023 | Mage | Javier Castellano | Gustavo Delgado |
| 2022 | Rich Strike | Sonny Leon | Eric Reed |
| 2021 | Mandaloun | Forent Geroux | Brad Cox |
| 2020 | Authentic | John Velazquez | Bob Baffert |
| 2019 | Country House | Flavien Prat | Bill Mott |
| 2018 | Justify | Mike Smith | Bob Baffert |
| 2017 | Always Dreaming | John Velazquez | Todd Pletcher |
| 2016 | Nyquist | Mario Guitierrez | Doug O’Neill |
For the complete list of winners, click here.