Kentucky Derby Start Time: What Time Does the Action Start?

The start of the 2013 Kentucky Derby will occur when the 20 horses fortunate enough to race in the first leg of the Triple Crown take their posts at approximately 6:24 p.m. ET. However, there is plenty of other action throughout Saturday at Churchill Downs that even casual horse racing fans won't want to miss.

By the time the Run for the Roses gets underway, there will have already been 10 other races already taken place and several hours of TV coverage gone by.

Here is a breakdown of the information you need to know so that you don't miss the Greatest Two Minutes in Sports.

Note: All information, unless otherwise noted, is courtesy of KentuckyDerby.com.

When: Saturday, May 4

Where: Churchill Downs, Louisville, Ky.

Post Time: Approximately 6:24 p.m. ET

TV: NBC (coverage begins at 4 p.m. ET)

*NBC Sports Network has coverage of undercard races, beginning at 11 a.m. ET.

Radio: Horse Racing Radio Network, Sirius 93 & 86/XM 209

Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
1	Black Onyx	—	Kelly Breen	Scratched
2	Oxbow	Gary Stevens	D. Wayne Lukas	24-1
3	Revolutionary	Calvin Borel	Todd Pletcher	5-1
4	Golden Soul	Robby Albarado	Dallas Stewart	32-1
5	Normandy Invasion	Javier Castellano	Chad Brown	8-1
6	Mylute	Rosie Napravnik	Tom Amoss	14-1
7	Giant Finish	Jose L. Espinoza	Anthony W. Dutrow	43-1
8	Goldencents	Kevin Krigger	Doug O'Neill	5-1
9	Overanalyze	Rafael Bejarano	Todd Pletcher	15-1
10	Palace Malice	Mike Smith	Todd Pletcher	23-1
11	Lines of Battle	Ryan Moore	Aidan O'Brien	43-1
12	Itsmyluckyday	Elvis Trujillo	Eddie Plesa, Jr.	11-1
13	Falling Sky	Luis Saez	John Terranova II	48-1
14	Verrazano	John R. Velazquez	Todd Pletcher	11-1
15	Charming Kitten	Edgar Prado	Todd Pletcher	32-1
16	Orb	Joel Rosario	Claude R. McGaughey III	6-1
17	Will Take Charge	Jon Court	D. Wayne Lukas	30-1
18	Frac Daddy	Victor Lebron	Ken McPeek	14-1
19	Java's War	Julien Leparoux	Ken McPeek	25-1
20	Vyjack	Garrett Gomez	Rudy Rodriguez	46-1

Contenders to watch

Orb (6-1)

The three-year-old overtook Verrazano as the odds-on favorite with strong showings in workouts in the lead up to the Derby.

Orb has won three consecutive races, with the most recent being the Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park. That is an ideal dirt track to prepare for Churchill Downs—particularly if the speed is slowed by arduous conditions.

Joel Rosario is one of the most successful modern jockeys, yet he does not have a Triple Crown victory to his credit. The last time trainer Shug McGaughey won such a race was the Belmont Stakes in 1989.

This is a perfect opportunity for both, and though the No. 16 post position isn't ideal, there is plenty of room to maneuver and work back toward the inside with ample time to make a strong move.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert doesn't have a horse in this year's Derby, but is impressed with Shug McGaughey's job in training Orb, and believes the horse has all the makings of a champion, according to BloodHorse.com's Claire Novak.

Baffert has a great eye for this sort of thing, and it's certainly feasible that Orb will be the first odds-on favorite in five years to ultimately triumph.

Verrazano (11-1)

The resistance to Verrazano winning comes in the form of precedent rather than any shortcomings the horse himself has. Not since 1882 has a horse been able to win this race after not racing until age 3.

Verrazano has all the tools to buck that trend, though. A rare blend of size and speed makes him a horse for any course, and he has not lost in four previous races. Winning the Wood Memorial Stakes is no small feat, and proved Verrazano could get it done against a truly top-notch field.

His 14th position in the starting gate is advantageous, because Charming Kitten will likely utilize his speed to bolt out ahead early, and 50-1 long shot Falling Sky shouldn't be of much bother.

That will give Verrazano a key early edge on the inside against Orb, and should help his chances significantly.

Now that he has dropped so much in the odds, there aren't many better bargains in terms of betting than Verrazano, which will only increase attention on him.

Todd Pletcher has five horses from his barn in this race—including co-favorite Revolutionary—but Verrazano may actually give him the best chance at finding the winners circle. Jockey John Velazquez was inducted into the Hall of Fame after winning the 2011 Derby aboard Animal Kingdom, too.

Goldencents (5-1)

Multiple chances for history lie within Goldencents should he cross the finish line first at Churchill Downs.

Trainer Doug O'Neill won the Derby last year with I'll Have Another, and has one of the premier speed horses in this race to pull it off again. It would be just the seventh time in 139 years that a trainer has won back-to-back.

Even more significant, though, is the story of Kevin Krigger, who will get the mount atop Goldencents.

The jockey will be the second African American to ride in the Run for the Roses since 1921. Thoroughbred racing PR representative Stephen Panus highlights the other piece of history Krigger would make with a win:

Goldencents is owned partially by Louisville Cardinals basketball head coach Rick Pitino, and won the Santa Anita Derby the same night Pitino's squad knocked off Wichita State in a national semifinal.

The Pitino factor and the chase for the record books should give the talented Goldencents a lot of support from hometown fans.