How to Watch the Kentucky Derby with DISH

Published On: April 30, 2025

Author: Mark Schiff

Sports have a funny way of marking the calendar. Depending on your sports preferences (and the climate where you live), summer gets "off to the races" with the running of the Kentucky Derby, which takes place relatively early this year on Saturday, May 3. Here’s everything you need to know to watch the 151st Run For the Roses with DISH. Not a DISH subscriber? Follow this link to find the best DISH package for you!

 

How to Watch the Kentucky Derby with DISH

The 2025 Kentucky Derby will be held Saturday, May 3 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. As it has been in recent years, the race will air live on NBC (check your DISH guide for the channel of your local NBC affiliate). Coverage begins at 12:00pm ET on USA Network (channel 105), then switches over to NBC at 2:30pm ET. The horses will be out of the gate for the big race at approximately 6:57pm ET, with NBC’s coverage wrapping up at 7:30pm.

The day before the Kentucky Derby, Friday, May 2, you can catch the Kentucky Derby Oaks – billed as America’s top race for 3-year-old fillies (or female horses) – at 1:00pm ET on USA Network. Post time for the Kentucky Derby Oaks is scheduled for 5:51pm ET.

 

What Are the Odds For the Kentucky Derby?

In real life, it’s been a tough time for journalism. At the Kentucky Derby, not so much. Following three consecutive wins, the 3-year-old bay colt Journalism is currently the heavy favorite to win the Kentucky Derby at 3-1 odds. He’s followed by Sandman at 9-2, then Sovereignty at 9-1 odds. American Promise and Luxor Cafe both surged in the betting market to become 12-1 favorites, followed by Render Judgement at 13-1 and Citizen Bull at 14-1. The rest of the field are 15-1 longshots or higher. Here’s a full look at the field, including odds and post position. If you’re looking to wager on the Kentucky Derby, be sure to check on the odds prior to post time, as they can change significantly between now and race time.

UPDATE: Both Rodriguez and Grande have been scratched from the race, reducing the field to 19 horses with the addition of alternate Baeza. Check out the list and odds as of Saturday morning (per KentuckyDerby.com) below:

Post  

Horse

Odds

1

Citizen Bull

13-1

2

Neoequos

47-1

3

Final Gambit

15-1

4

Rodriguez

SCRATCHED

5

American Promise

12-1

6

Admire Daytona

41-1

7

Luxor Cafe 

11-1

8

Journalism

7-2

9

Burnham Square

16-1

10

Grande

SCRATCHED

11

Flying Mohawk

31-1

12

East Avenue

37-1

13

Publisher

29-1

14

Tiztastic

18-1

15

Render Judgement

  14-1

16

Coal Battle

25-1

17

Sandman

9-2

18

Sovereignty

9-1

19

Chunk of Gold

28-1

20

Owen Almighty

39-1

21

Baeza

18-1

 

What Are the Races in the Triple Crown?

The three horse races that make up the triple crown are the Kentucky Derby (the first Saturday in May); the Preakness Stakes (aka “the run for the black-eyed susans” on the third Saturday in May), which is traditionally held at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland; and the Belmont Stakes (“the test of the champion” on the first or second Saturday in June), at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. In 2025, the triple crown schedule is as follows:

  • The Kentucky Derby - Saturday, May 3 on NBC

  • The Preakness Stakes - Saturday, May 17 on NBC

  • The Belmont Stakes (from Saratoga Race Course) - Saturday, June 7 on FOX