Kentucky Derby 2022: When Is It and Where Can I Watch?
Horse racing is experiencing something of a re-birth this year with hugely successful events in the UK, in the form of the Cheltenham Festival and the Grand National, proving to be massive successes with the number of spectators at both being at near-record numbers.
You can expect a similar feat to occur at the 2022 Kentucky Derby, which is arguably the biggest horse race outside England and is set for its 148th running next month. Fans of horse racing may well be keen to watch on, especially if they can’t get to Louisville this year, so here is all the information you’ll need.
When Is the 2022 Kentucky Derby?
The Kentucky Derby, as is tradition, takes place on the first Saturday in May, so this year it will take place on the 7th of May. The entire event starts in the early afternoon, and the key race, the Kentucky Derby itself, begins at precisely 6:57 PM Eastern Standard Time.
The race is a short one, which is why it’s commonly referred to as “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports.” It was first runway back in 1875 and has steadily grown in stature, and is now a hugely important race in the global horse racing calendar.
Where Can I Watch the 2022 Kentucky Derby?
There are many unofficial ways to keep up with the race, but the best place to tune in is via NBC, and you can watch online via their site or on their station. The NBC Sports website and the app can be watched wherever you are in the world.
The Kentucky Derby is the first of the triple crown races, with the Preakness Stakes, on May 21st and the Belmont Stakes, on June 11th, making up the trio of key races in the US horse racing schedule.
Which Horses Lead the Field in the Kentucky Derby Betting?
Though clearly, the betting on such a key race fluctuates, the leaders currently include Epicenter, 5-1, Messier, Taiba, Zandon, all 6-1, and Mo Donegal at 8-1.
Taiba is getting a lot of betting attention, and this is the horse’s third time at the Kentucky Derby, and if he is to be successful, he’ll be bucking a trend. No horse has won the race on its third start since 1883.
There is some outside action on Charge It, who is a 20-1 shot; the Todd Pletcher trained horse has raced just three times and won twice and placed second on the other two occasions and, as such, is a horse who could make an impact in the big race.
Messier would be our option. He’s raced five times and won three of those and placed second in the other two. Crucially in those races that he won, he cleared the field by some distance. He romped home by 15 lengths in the Robert B.Lewis stakes in February, and the three-year-old is well worth considering a wager on.
Now trained by Tim Yakteen, ahead of his Kentucky Derby bid, this is a horse that is on course for glory.
