How to Watch the 2026 Kentucky Derby with DISH

Published On: April 24, 2026

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 2. Here’s everything you need to know to watch the 152nd 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 2026 Kentucky Derby will be held Saturday, May 2 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 2:30 PM ET, with the post time for the Kentucky Derby itself at approximately 6:57 PM ET.

The day before the Kentucky Derby, Friday, May 1, you can catch the Kentucky Derby Oaks – billed as America’s top race for 3-year-old fillies (or female horses) – live on primetime for the first time ever. Coverage begins on NBC at 8 PM ET, with the post time for the Kentucky Oaks race scheduled for 8:40 PM.

 

What Are the Odds For the 2026 Kentucky Derby?

Here's a look at the five favorites (as of April 22), along with the odds of the complete field at the 152nd Kentucky Derby! The post positions will be determined on Saturday, April 25.

Renegade

Pedigree: Sired by leading stallion Into Mischief, out of Spice Is Nice (a daughter of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin).

Achievements: Undefeated in his 2026 campaign. He enters the Derby following a decisive four-length romp in the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby and a powerful sweep in the Sam F. Davis Stakes.

 

Commandment

Pedigree: Sired by Into Mischief, out of Sippican Harbor (by Orb).

Achievements: He is the overall Derby points leader (150 points) and boasts a stellar 4-for-5 career record. He is currently on a four-race winning streak, which includes thrilling, hard-fought victories in the Grade 1 Florida Derby (by a nose) and the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes (by a neck).

 

Further Ado

Pedigree: Sired by 2017 Horse of the Year Gun Runner, out of Sky Dreamer.

Achievements: He delivered the most dominant prep-season performance by winning the Grade 1 Blue Grass Stakes by an astonishing 11 lengths, earning the highest speed figure in the Derby field (106 Beyer/107 Equibase). He also won the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes at Churchill Downs as a two-year-old.

 

The Puma

Pedigree: Sired by Essential Quality, out of Eve of War.

Achievements: He proved his grit by winning the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby in a photo finish. He then stepped up to 1 1/8 miles in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, battling gamely down the stretch to finish second by just a nose to Commandment.

 

Chief Wallabee

Pedigree: Sired by Constitution, out of A La Lucie.

Achievements: Though he hasn't won a major prep, he has been highly competitive against the best, finishing second in the Fountain of Youth Stakes and third in the Florida Derby. He earned an elite 100 Beyer Speed Figure earlier in the season, which ties for one of the highest numbers in the entire crop.

 

Full Field of the 2026 Kentucky Derby

  • Renegade: 9-2 (Post #1)
  • Commandment: 6-1 (Post #6)
  • Further Ado: 5-1 (Post #18)
  • The Puma: 10-1 (Post #9)
  • Chief Wallabee: 10-1 (Post #12)
  • So Happy: 15-1 (Post #8) 
  • Danon Bourbon: 50-1 (Post #7)
  • Emerging Market: 20-1 (Post #15)
  • Potente: 15-1 (Post #14)
  • Fulleffort: 20-1 (Post #20)
  • Incredibolt: 25-1 (Post #11)
  • Silent Tactic: 30-1 (Post #13)
  • Golden Tempo: 30-1 (Post #19)
  • Pavlovian: 40-1 (Post #16)
  • Albus: 40-1 (Post #2)
  • Wonder Dean: 25-1 (Post #10) 
  • Right to Party: 50-1 (Post #5)
  • Six Speed: 40-1 (Post #17)
  • Litmus Test: 30-1 (Post #4)
  • Intrepido: 50-1 (Post #3)

 

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 2026, the triple crown schedule is as follows:

  • The Kentucky Derby - Saturday, May 3 on NBC

  • The Preakness Stakes (from Laurel Park, Maryland) - Saturday, May 16 on NBC

  • The Belmont Stakes (from Saratoga Race Course) - Saturday, June 6 on FOX