Saturday, May 1, 2027 · Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky
The 153rd Kentucky Derby is Saturday, May 1, 2027 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Post time is approximately 6:57 PM EDT (10:57 PM UTC · 11:57 PM BST · 4:27 AM IST on Sunday May 2 · 8:57 AM AEST on Sunday May 2). The race covers 1¼ miles and takes approximately 2 minutes — the shortest major sporting event.
Use the EDT to BST converter or the full time zone converter to find post time in your city.
Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky has hosted the Kentucky Derby every year since 1875. The track is famous for its twin spires, which have stood since 1895 and are one of the most recognized landmarks in American sports. The 1¼-mile main track is a dirt oval. Churchill Downs seats approximately 45,000 fans, though total Derby Day attendance including infield typically exceeds 150,000. The winner's blanket of 554 red roses — "the Run for the Roses" — has been a Derby tradition since 1896.
The Triple Crown consists of three races for 3-year-old thoroughbreds: the Kentucky Derby (1¼ miles, first Saturday in May), the Preakness Stakes (~2 weeks later, 1³⁄₁₆ miles at Pimlico in Baltimore), and the Belmont Stakes (~3 weeks after the Derby, 1½ miles at Belmont Park in New York).
Louisville, Kentucky uses Eastern Daylight Time (EDT, UTC-4) in May. All post times are listed in EDT. The eastern part of Kentucky uses EDT; the western part uses Central Time.