When is the 2023 Kentucky Derby? How to watch, what to know for 149th Derby running

By Mary Omatiga and Annie CoryMay 5, 2023, 8:36 AM EDT

The 2023 Kentucky Derby takes place on Saturday, May 6 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Live coverage for the most exciting two minutes in sports begins at 2:30 PM ET on NBC and Peacock.

The field will feature a total of 20 horses who have all earned a spot through a series of 35 races known as the Road to the Kentucky Derby. The top finishers in each race earn points on a descending scale and the 20 horses that have accumulated the most points earn a spot in the 2023 Kentucky Derby.

See below for how to watch the 2023 Kentucky Derby as well as answers to all of your frequently asked questions about the event. NBC will also broadcast the 2023 Kentucky Oaks, Friday May 5th on USA Network.

How to watch the 2023 Kentucky Derby:

Date: Saturday, May 6
Time: Live coverage begins at 2:30 PM ET
Where: Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky
TV Network: NBC
Streaming: Peacock, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app

When is the 2023 Kentucky Derby?

The 2023 Kentucky Derby is scheduled for Saturday, May 6th, and will air across the networks of NBC Sports and Peacock.

Where is the Kentucky Derby?

Since 1875, spectators have gathered at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, to witness the Run for the Roses.

The initial idea for Churchill Downs sparked in 1872, when Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark attended the Epsom Derby in England. When Clark made his way back to the states, he sought to create a track similar to England’s that Kentucky racers could call home.

A few years later, that desire came to fruition, as “Churchill Downs” was born. The track’s first official race day came May 17, 1875, with three major stakes races – the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks and Clark Handicap.

What horses are in the field for the 2023 Kentucky Derby?

Below are the current 20 horses in position for a spot in the Derby, as of April 11th:

Forte
Practical Move
Angel of Empire
Tapit Trice
Two Phil’s
Lord Miles
Derma Sotogake (JPN)
Kingsbarns
Raise Cain
Rocket Can
Hit Show
Confidence Game
Verifying
Sun Thunder
Wild on Ice
Mage
Blazing Sevens
Reincarnate
Jace’s Road
Skinner

Who won the Kentucky Derby in 2022?

Last year’s Run for the Roses saw one of the biggest upsets in Kentucky Derby history, as Rich Strike blazed by the competition on the final backstretch, passing favorite Epicenter just before the finish line.

Rich Strike, who wasn’t entered in the race until a mere day before when Ethereal Road was scratched, reigned victorious with a finishing time of 2:02.61. The Kentucky Derby victory was the first for trainer Eric Reed and jockey Sonny Lee.

How can I watch horse racing on Peacock?

What else can I watch on Peacock?

Here’s what else you get with Peacock:

New movies straight from theaters—plus hundreds of movies from major Hollywood studios such as Universal, DreamWorks Animation, and Focus Features.
Thousands of hours of hit TV shows, including highly anticipated Peacock Originals and current hits from NBC & Bravo.
Peacock Channels playing your favorite movies, shows, and clips 24/7. Scroll less and stream more with NBC Sports on Peacock, SNL Vault, Fallon Tonight, TODAY All Day, and True Crime.
The most LIVE sports of any streamer, including Sunday Night Football and Premier League.
Kids’ movies and shows, including Where’s Waldo? and Curious George.
Hit Spanish-language TV shows and news from Telemundo.

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

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.