On the day prior to the Kentucky Derby the track played host to several other races. The highlight race on May 6th, the Friday before the Kentucky Derby, is the Kentucky Oaks. The Kentucky Oaks is a great primer to the Derby Day races on the next day.
The Kentucky Derby race day starts off with a full load of horse races at Churchill Downs at 10:30 AM EST on May 7th. The race best part is before the NBCSN, which should be changing to the Peacock coverage, starts on the day the track will already have 3 races run. However, unlike the crowded grandstands that are visible on the television coverage the crowds will just start to stream in and will not really be settled in for the horse race.
After the Derby coverage starts on NBC their are an additional 4 races that are run from 12:00 PM to the 1:56 PM slot. After the 1:56 PM slot and race is when the national coverage on NBC starts at 2:30 PM EST. After the national coverage on NBC starts up their are an additional 3 races before a major named race starts up,. The first named race that starts up posts at 5:27 PM and it is the Old Forester Turf Classic.
With the next race the post time is not until 6:57 PM EST and that is the Kentucky Derby. However, before the race posts the events that start is at 6:09 PM when the viewers are able to watch the contenders and all of the connections as the horses walk from the barn to the paddock. At 6:37 PM the race has the riders up call as the jockeys and the horses are instructed to take to the track. Then it is time to sing the classic song of “My Old Kentucky Home” at 6:39 PM EST. Then at 6:57 PM the gates should open and the horses are able to take to the track to run the most exciting and lucrative 2 minutes of their lives race.
After the race is the winning horse is draped with the roses and the winning connections are put in place. Then the winner is presented with the Kentucky Derby Trophy. At roughly 7:15 PM ES the winners are sprayed with the champagne that has become a classic for the Kentucky Derby winner. At the end of the Kentucky Derby events Churchill Downs will be getting ready for 2 more races that start up at 7:55 PM.