Kentucky Derby 2025: How to stream the horse race live and what to know about this year’s drama

This weekend, you will need to put on your Sunday clothes—especially a fancy hat—a day early.

The 151st Run for the Roses, better known as the 2025 Kentucky Derby, will take off at 6:57 p.m. ET, on Saturday, May 3, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Twenty three-year-old thoroughbreds have qualified through the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” points system and are ready to leave it all on the track. Here’s what you need to know going into the big race day.

Drama on and off the track

Trainer Bob Baffert is back after serving a three-year suspension beginning in 2021, which was instituted after the 147th Kentucky Derby winner, Medina Spirit, tested positive for betamethasone. This steroid is an acceptable therapeutic treatment for horses but becomes illegal when found in the bloodstream as it can be considered a performance-enhancing drug. Beyond the suspension, Baffert was forced to vacate this victory. 

Even without Medina Spirit, Baffert has six other Kentucky Derby wins, but so does trainer Ben Jones. Baffert is hoping to best him this year and has even hedged his bets by entering two horses to make up for lost time.

He has spent countless hours training Citizen Bull and Rodriguez for these two minutes. Fellow trainer Steve Asmussen also took this strategy with Publisher and Tiztastic, but he has yet to win a Derby, despite an impressive track record.

Please tell us the odds

Han Solo might not have appreciated when C-3P0 told him the odds in The Empire Strikes Back, but this isn’t space travel.

Ed DeRosa of Louisville’s Courier Journal picked three possible winning horses for readers to consider. He is betting on Journalism, the 3-to-1 favorite, in part because this horse is on a winning streak and does well under pressure.

DeRosa also pointed out Chunk of Gold’s (30 to 1) noteworthy race in the Louisiana Derby. And don’t count out Rodriguez’s speed.

Jody Demling, publisher of Cardinal Authority, has a different take and is fading Rodriguez (12-1), as CBS Sports reports. He agrees that Journalism is a sure thing and also points out Sandman’s (6 to 1) closing speed. Anything can happen on race day during those 10 furloughs.

How can I watch or stream the 2025 Kentucky Derby?

The 2025 Kentucky Derby will take place at 6:57 p.m ET on Saturday. Viewers with traditional cable can tune into NBC or watch the race on NBC.com with their pay-TV credentials.

There are 14 other races on the same day and lots of hats to see, so the pre-show begins at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Also on cable, the USA Netwok’s pre-race coverage begins at 12 p.m. ET if you want even more.

If you have cut the cable cord, you can watch live on Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service. The streamer’s own coverage begins at 12 p.m. ET.

Other live-TV streaming services also carry NBC. They include:

• Fubo
• Sling
• YouTube TV

And don’t forget, NBC is free over the air if you have an antenna. Whatever way you choose to tune it, it is sure to be an exciting race.

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