What to know about the 2023 Kentucky Derby

By Daniel TranMay 5, 2023, 7:00 AM EDT

The Kentucky Derby is one of the most iconic sporting events in the world. Every year, millions of fans tune in to NBC to watch top racehorses from around the globe compete in “The Most Exciting Two Minutes In Sports.”

The 2023 Kentucky Derby will air on Saturday, May 6 from 12 to 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Coverage is also available to stream live on NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app and Peacock.

Related: When is the Kentucky Derby?

NBC Sports will also air the Kentucky Oaks the day before on Friday, May 5th from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET on USA Network, NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app and Peacock.

What is the Kentucky Derby?

The Kentucky Derby, historically on the first Saturday in May, is one of the most well-known Grade 1 Thoroughbred stakes races in the world. It is usually the first leg of the American Triple Crown and is only one of the Triple Crown races to have run uninterrupted since its inaugural race in 1875.

How long is the Kentucky Derby?

The Kentucky Derby is 1 1/4 mile or 10 furlongs. The race has also been dubbed as “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” due to its approximate duration. Secretariat owns the fastest Kentucky Derby time ever, running a blistering 1:59.40 in 1973.

When is the 2023 Kentucky Derby?

The 149th running of the Kentucky Derby is on Saturday, May 6, 2023. Watch NBC Sports’ coverage on NBC, Peacock, or on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.

Where is the 2023 Kentucky Derby?

The Derby is run on the dirt track at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, where it has been held since its inaugural running in 1875.

How can I watch the 2023 Kentucky Derby?

NBC Sports is home to the 149th Kentucky Derby, providing comprehensive race coverage and analysis live on NBC, Peacock, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app before, during and after. The 2023 Kentucky Derby will air on May 6 from 12 to 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

NBC Sports will also air the Kentucky Oaks the day before on Friday, May 6th from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET on USA Network, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.

NBC will also broadcast the 2023 Preakness Stakes and Breeders’ Cup.

How are horses picked for the Derby?

Only 3-year-old Thoroughbreds can qualify for the Kentucky Derby. Eligible horses compete in the Road to the Kentucky Derby, a series of 35 races around the world. Horses win points for finishing in the top four spots, and the 20 horses with the most points at the end of the series gain entry into the Derby. However, sometimes horses will scratch, giving horses outside of the top-20 the opportunity to run in the Derby (as in the stunning upset for Rich Strike in 2022).

Who won the 2022 Kentucky Derby?

On race day, Ethereal Road was scratched from the field, allowing Eric Reed-trained Rich Strike to enter the field. He went off as an 80-1 underdog but ended the race as the Kentucky Derby champion after a blistering pace tired out favorites like Zandon and Epicenter in the final stretch.

What are the biggest Kentucky Derby traditions?

Flashy and bold formal outfits for both men and women are synonymous with the Kentucky Derby. Celebrities and fans alike don creative hats, bright colors and eye-popping patterns. In fact, hats and outfits are such a big part of the Kentucky Derby that the Derby Museum dedicates a whole exhibit for the most ornate fashions.

The signature drink of the Derby is the Mint Julep, made with Kentucky bourbon.

Kentucky’s state song “My Old Kentucky Home” is played during the pre-race post parade. The song was written in the 1850s by Stephen Foster and features depictions of slavery in the pre-Civil War South. The song’s exact meanings and intentions have been subject to varying interpretations over the last 170 years, and, more recently, there have been renewed calls to re-examine the song’s place – on Derby Day and in American society at large.

After the race, the winning horse is given the iconic garland of roses in the winner’s circle, hence why the race is nicknamed “the Run for the Roses.”

Betting and horse racing go hand in hand. There will be a whole weekend of stacked racing cards at Churchill Downs, but the Derby is usually one of the most bet on sporting events of the entire year.

Watch the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 6 from 12 to 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Full coverage is also available on NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app and Peacock.

Forte works out, waits for Belmont Stakes clearance

Associated PressMay 27, 2023, 3:14 PM EDT

Matt Stone/USA TODAY NETWORK

NEW YORK — Forte, the early Kentucky Derby favorite who was scratched on the day of the race, worked out in preparation for a possible start in the Belmont Stakes on June 10.

Under regular rider Irad Ortiz Jr., Forte worked five-eighths of a mile for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher. It was the colt’s second workout since being scratched from the Derby on May 6.

“It seems like he’s maintained his fitness level,” Pletcher said. “It seems like everything is in good order.”

Forte was placed on a mandatory 14-day veterinary list after being scratched from the Derby because of a bruised right front foot. In order to be removed from the list, the colt had to work in front of a state veterinarian and give a blood sample afterward, the results of which take five days.

“There’s protocols in place and we had to adhere to those and we’re happy that everything went smoothly,” Pletcher said. “We felt confident the horse was in good order or we wouldn’t have been out there twice in the last six days, but you still want to make sure everything went smoothly and we’re happy everything did go well.”

Pletcher said Kingsbarns, who finished 14th in the Kentucky Derby, will miss the Belmont. The colt is showing signs of colic, although he is fine, the trainer said.

Another Pletcher-trained horse, Prove Worthy, is under consideration for the Belmont. He also has Tapit Trice, who finished seventh in the Derby, being pointed toward the Belmont.

Judge grants Churchill Downs’ request for summary judgment to dismiss Bob Baffert’s lawsuit

Associated PressMay 25, 2023, 9:36 PM EDT

Abbey Cutrer/USA TODAY NETWORK

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A federal judge has granted Churchill Downs’ motion for summary judgment that dismisses Bob Baffert’s claim the track breached due process by suspending the Hall of Fame trainer for two years.

Churchill Downs Inc. suspended Baffert in June 2021 after his now-deceased colt, Medina Spirit, failed a postrace drug test after crossing the finish line first in the 147th Kentucky Derby. The trainer’s request to lift the discipline was denied in February, keeping him out of the Derby for a second consecutive May.

U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Grady Jennings ruled in a 12-page opinion issued Wednesday that Churchill Downs’ suspension of Baffert did not devalue his Kentucky trainer’s license. It cited his purse winnings exceeding $1 million at Keeneland in Lexington and stated that his argument “amounts to a false analogy that distorts caselaw.”

Jennings denied CDI’s motion to stay discovery as moot.

The decision comes less than a week after Baffert-trained colt National Treasure won the Preakness in his first Triple Crown race in two years. His record eighth win in the second jewel of the Triple Crown came hours after another of his horses, Havnameltdown, was euthanized following an injury at Pimlico.

Churchill Downs said in a statement that it was pleased with the court’s favorable ruling as in Baffert’s other cases.

It added, “While he may choose to file baseless appeals, this completes the seemingly endless, arduous and unnecessary litigation proceedings instigated by Mr. Baffert.”

Baffert’s suspension is scheduled to end on June 2, but the track’s release noted its right to extend it “and will communicate our decision” at its conclusion.