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

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: 6:57 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, Martin Garcia (20-1)

2. Neoequos, Flavien Prat (30-1)

3. Final Gambit, Luan Machado (30-1)

4. Rodriguez, Mike Smith (12-1)

5. American Promise, Nik Juarez (30-1)

6. Admire Daytona, Christophe Lemaire (30-1)

7. Luxor Cafe, Joao Moreira (15-1)

8. Journalism, Umberto Rispoli (3-1)

9. Burnham Square, Brian Hernandez Jr. (12-1)

10. Grande, John Velazquez (20-1)

11. Flying Mohawk, Joe Ramos (30-1)

12. East Avenue, Manny Franco (20-1)

13. Publisher, Irad Ortiz Jr. (20-1)

14. Tiztastic, Joel Rosario (20-1)

15. Render Judgement, Julien Leparoux (30-1)

16. Coal Battle, Juan Vargas (30-1)

17. Sandman, Jose Ortiz (6-1)

18. Sovereignty, Junior Alvarado (5-1)

19. Chunk of Gold, Jareth Loveberry (30-1)

20. Owen Almighty, Javier Castellano (30-1)

Also eligible

21. Baeza, Flavien Prat

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.

• Gate 1: Citizen Bull – 20-1

• Gate 2: Neoequos – 30-1

• Gate 3: Final Gambit – 30-1

• Gate 4: Rodriguez – 12-1

• Gate 5: American Promise – 30-1

• Gate 6: Admire Daytona – 30-1

• Gate 7: Luxor Cafe – 15-1

• Gate 8: Journalism – 3-1

• Gate 9: Burnham Square – 12-1

• Gate 10: Grande – 20-1

• Gate 11: Flying Mohawk – 30-1

• Gate 12: East Avenue – 20-1

• Gate 13: Publisher – 20-1

• Gate 14: Tiztastic – 20-1

• Gate 15: Render Judgment – 30-1

• Gate 16: Coal Battle – 30-1

• Gate 17: Sandman – 6-1

• Gate 18: Sovereignty – 5-1

• Gate 19: Chunk of Gold – 30-1

• Gate 20: Owen Almighty – 30-1

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kentucky Derby 2025: Odds, date, time, how to watch