Horses, Prize Money, How to Watch, Schedule – NBC New York

It's time to grab your fanciest hat, sip a mint julep, and get ready for the fastest two minutes in sports.

The 150th Kentucky Derby is getting closer and closer. Twenty of the world's fastest horses gallop around the Churchill Downs track for a chance to win a rosary, a record prize and the title of Kentucky Derby champion.

Before the horn sounds and the top race begins, here's everything you need to know about the 2024 Kentucky Derby.

What is the Kentucky Derby?

The Kentucky Derby is an annual horse race that usually takes place the first week of May. The race is 1.25 miles long, usually lasts about two minutes, and is the first leg of horse racing's Triple Crown.

The 2024 Derby is the 150th running and will feature 14 races throughout the day.

Where is the Kentucky Derby?

The Kentucky Derby is held annually at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The venue can accommodate more than 150,000 people on Derby Day.

2024 Kentucky Derby Schedule

The Kentucky Oaks takes place on Friday, May 3, before Derby Day.

The broadcast time for the first Derby Day race is Saturday, May 4, 10:30 a.m. ET. A full program is on offer before the main event at 6:57 p.m

The full Derby Day schedule can be found here.

How to watch the 2024 Kentucky Derby

NBC's live coverage of the Kentucky Derby begins Saturday, May 4, at 2:30 p.m. ET. USA Network and Peacock will broadcast live coverage of Derby Day from noon to 2:20 p.m. ET.

Viewers can stream Derby Day coverage on Peacock, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.

USA Network and Peacock will also cover Kentucky Oaks on Friday, May 3, from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET.

2024 Kentucky Derby horses

Here are the post positions for each 2024 Kentucky Derby competitor, along with their trainers, jockeys and Odds listed by the derby:

1. Dornoch: Danny Gargan, Luis Saez, 20-1
2. Sierra Leone: Chad Brown, Tyler Gaffalione, 3-1
3. Mystik Dan: Kenny McPeek, Brian Hernandez Jr., 20-1
4. Catching Freedom: Brad Cox, Flavien Prat, 8-1
5. Catalytic: Saffie Joseph Jr., Jose Ortiz, 30-1
6. Just Steel: Wayne Lukas, Keith Asmussen, 20-1
7. Honor Marie: Whit Beckman, Ben Curtis, 20-1
8. Just one touch: Brad Cox, Florent Geroux, 10-1
9. Encino: Brad Cox, Axel Concepcion, 20-1
10. FOR Password: Daisuke Takayanagi, Kazushi Kimura, 30-1
11. Forever young: Yoshito Yahagi, Ryusei Sakai, 10-1
12. Track Phantom: Steve Asmussen, Joel Rosario, 20-1
13. West Saratoga: Larry Demeritte, Jesus Castanon, 50-1
14. Endless: Michael McCarthy, Umberto Rispoli, 30-1
15. Domestic Product: Chad Brown, Irad Ortiz Jr., 30-1
16. Grand Mo the First: Victor Barboza Jr., Emisael Jaramillo, 50-1
17. Wildness: Todd Pletcher, John Velazquez, 5-2
18. Fortress: Phil D'Amato, Antonio Fresu, 20-1
19. Resilience: Bill Mott, Junior Alvarado, 20-1
20. Man of the company: Danny Gargan, Frankie Dettori, 50-1

Epic Ride and Mugatu are eligible to start if another participant scratches.

2024 Kentucky Derby Prize Money

The total budget for the Kentucky Derby is up to $5 million for the 2024 race, a $2 million increase over the 2023 budget.

The winner will receive $3.1 million, up from $1.86 million in 2023. The runner-up will receive $1 million, the third will receive $500,000, the fourth will receive $250,000 and the fifth will receive $150,000 -Dollar.