when does the kentucky derby race start

The 2025 Kentucky Derby race is scheduled to start at approximately 6:57 PM Eastern Time (ET) on Saturday, May 3, 2025. This is the post time for the main event at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. The televised coverage typically runs from early afternoon until after the race, with NBC broadcasting it from 2:30 PM to 7:30 PM ET. Other preliminary races on the card start earlier in the day, but the iconic Kentucky Derby race itself begins at this time.