And if you are a fan of horses and horse racing, it’s the first jewel in the Triple Crown.
The Kentucky Derby will be run on Saturday, and the spectacle surrounding the race has drawn thousands to Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, for 142 years to watch a field of 3-year-old horses compete for millions in prize money.
Here’s what you need to know about the race.
When is the 2017 Kentucky Derby?
Saturday.
What time does it start?
Coverage of the race begins at 2:30 p.m. ET. Post time for the race is 6:34 p.m. ET.
What channel is it on?
NBC will broadcast prerace activities along with the race.
Is it livestreamed?
Yes. Click here, NBC Sports Live, to watch on Saturday.
How far do the horses run?
1¼ miles.
What is the track surface?
Dirt.
What is the record at the track?
Secretariat holds the record. The horse ran 1¼ miles in 1:59 and two-fifths seconds.
What’s the purse for this year’s derby?
The purse is $2 million; the winner gets $1.425 million.
Which horses are running in the 2017 Kentucky Derby?
Classic Empire
Always Dreaming
Irish War Cry
Gunnevera
McCraken
Irap
Tapwrit
Gormley
Thunder Snow
Girvin
Practical Joke
Conquest Mo Money
J Boys Echo
Hence
Lookin At Lee
State of Honor
Cloud Computing
Patch
Battle of Midway
Sonneteer
Royal Mo
Untrapped
Fast and Accurate
Who is the favorite to win the 2017 Kentucky Derby?
As of Monday, the betting favorites were Classic Empire and Always Dreaming. Always Dreaming is the son of Bodemeister, who finished second in the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes in 2012.
Fast and Accurate may be neither if you listen to oddsmakers. That horse has the worst odds of winning at 66-1.
Is there anything unusual about the horses in this year’s derby?
A one-eyed horse is running in the derby. Patch lost his eye last year after a bout of inflammation.
He’s not the first one-eyed horse to run in the derby. Three other one-eyed horses have run in the Kentucky Derby. None of those horses won.
Who is singing the national anthem?
Harry Connick Jr.
What’s the weather going to be like?
According to Weather.com, it will be raining in Louisville on Saturday.
Where can you find the Kentucky Derby Facebook and Twitter accounts?
For Facebook, click here.
For Twitter, click here.
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