Kentucky Derby TV Schedule: Complete Info for the Greatest 2 Minutes in Sports

Horse racing fans, this is your weekend. The 2012 Kentucky Derby has arrived, and it will be two minutes of excitement as promised for the annual horse race. The excitement starts at approximately 6:24 PM ET, and will air on NBC from the Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

This year there are 21 horses in the race, which will make it one of the more intriguing races in recent memory. This year will mark the 138th running of this historic event. For my people betting on the race out there, you want to focus on three things.

The breed of the horse, the jockey ,and the trainer.

Statistically, following this criteria will give you a great idea of which horse will win the Kentucky Derby. Of course you will have exceptions, but this is a good place to start.

Also, the more well-known the father or grandfather of a horse—generally called the sire— is influences the grade given the racing horse by serious betters. This is referred to as the pedigree of the horse. Breeding is very serious to adamant Kentucky Derby betters.

One horse to watch for this very factor is Gemologist, whose father was Tiznow; a very successful horse. For those who do not know, Tiznow was one of the greatest horses to ever grace the track in horse racing, and is considered a hall-of-fame horse.

Another horse with a great pedigree is Take Charge Indy, from the line of former two-time leading North American sire, AP Indy. This horse has a legit shot at winning, and you get your bang for your buck at 15-1 odds.

Take Charge Indy has one of the best jockeys in the game, with three-time Kentucky Derby winner, Calvin Borel. A horse with this much promise and a jockey who is a proven winner is always a dangerous combination.

Gemologist is also great on the track, and was victorious at the 2012 Wood Memorial Stakes in New York City. He has tremendous promise, and is also a favorite in Vegas, as his odds are 6-1, starting from the 15th position.

Bodemeister is a serious contender as well. This horse, trained by hall-of-fame trainer Bob Baffert, has looked fantastic, and was the victor in the Arkansas Derby. Bodemeister is the odds-on favorite with odds of 4-1.

Another horse you can’t look past is Dullahan, whose jockey is hall-of-fame rider Kent Desormeaux. If you like Dullahan’s odds you aren’t alone, as he is sitting at an 8-1 payout right now. 

Union Rags is another favorite for the folks in Vegas, as his odds are at 9-2 and he is starting at the fourth position. This horse trained by Michael Matz will be no slouch in this race.

The current landscape of horse racing begins and ends with Sheikh Mohammed, generally known as "the Sheikh".  The Sheikh owns the largest horse stable in the world, and is the ruler of Dubai.

A guy with that much money in horse racing? Pretty dope right?

He and his trainer Kiaran McLaughin, have one of the more productive horsing stables in the world. Their horse this year racing out of the 11-hole is Alpha, and whenever these two are involved, they are a force to be reckoned with.

No horse race is as fun simply counting on the favorites. Let's take a look at a long-shots.

Look for Daddy Nose Best, trained by Steve Asmussen, and his jockey Garrett Gomez. This horse has solid odds at 15-1, and won the Sun Derby in New Mexico.

In all, this race will be amazing. Everybody loves the Kentucky Derby, and with the field so competitive in 2012, it will be almost impossible not to watch.

As Terrell Owens would say, get your popcorn ready.