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 Sovereignty at 5-1 odds, then Sandman at 6-1. Rodriguez and Burnham Square are next at 12-1 odds, followed by Luxor Cafe at 15-1. The rest of the 20-horse field are 20-1 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.

Post

 Horse

Odds

1

Citizen Bull

20-1

2

Neoequos

30-1

3

Final Gambit

30-1

4

Rodriguez

12-1

5

American Promise

30-1

6

Admire Daytona

30-1

7

Luxor Cafe 

15-1

8

Journalism

3-1

9

Burnham Square

12-1

10

Grande

20-1

11

Flying Mohawk

30-1

12

East Avenue

20-1

13

Publisher

20-1

14

Tiztastic

20-1

15

Render Judgement

 30-1

16

Coal Battle

30-1

17

Sandman

6-1

18

Sovereignty

5-1

19

Chunk of Gold

30-1

20

Owen Almighty

30-1



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