Kentucky Derby TV Schedule 2015: NBC TV Info, Start Time and Race Live Stream

Welcome to the biggest day on the horse racing calendar. After months of preparation, the 2015 Kentucky Derby will finally get underway Saturday evening at Churchill Downs.

The entire week has been filled with rampant speculation about a list of favorites that includes American Pharoah, whose interestingly spelled name a lot more people are going to need to know if he takes the first leg of the Triple Crown. Pharoah has long been pegged as the early favorite, a status that dates back to his Arkansas Derby win.

That said, eye-opening triumphs have increasingly defined the Kentucky Derby. California Chrome last year was the first pre-race favorite to win the race since Big Brown in 2008. Before Orb and Chrome the last two races, we'd seen a run on double-digit underdogs coming from behind and making a splash.

With a deep field full of potential contenders and spoilers, let's take a look at the entire field and assess some of the most popular pre-race horses.

141st Kentucky Derby

Date: Saturday, May 2

Time: 4:30 p.m ET

TV: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Sports Extra

No.	Post	Horse	Jockey	Trainer	Odds
1	2	Ocho Ocho Ocho	Elvis Trujillo	Jim Cassidy	25-1
2	3	Carpe Diem	John Velazquez	Todd Pletcher	8-1
3	4	Materiality	Javier Castellano	Todd Pletcher	16-1
4	5	Tencendur	Manny Franco	George Weaver	50-1
5	6	Danzig Moon	Julien Leparoux	Mark Casse	33-1
6	7	Mubtaahij	Christophe Soumillon	Mike de Kock	12-1
7		El Kabeir	Calvin Borel		SCR
8	8	Dortmund	Martin Garcia	Bob Baffert	18-5
9	9	Bolo	Rafael Bejarano	Carla Gaines	40-1
10	10	Firing Line	Gary Stevens	Simon Callaghan	12-1
11		Stanford	Florent Geroux		SCR
12		International Star	Miguel Mena		SCR
13	11	Itsaknockout	Luis Saez	Todd Pletcher	33-1
14	12	Keen Ice	Kent Desormeaux	Dale Romans	40-1
15	13	Frosted	Joel Rosario	Kiaran McLaughlin	16-1
16	14	War Story	Joe Talamo	Tom Amoss	50-1
17	15	Mr. Z	Ramon Vazquez	D. Wayne Lukas	50-1
18	16	American Pharoah	Victor Espinoza	Bob Baffert	13-5
19	17	Upstart	Jose Ortiz	Rick Violette Jr.	25-1
20	18	Far Right	Mike Smith	Ron Moquett	40-1
21	19	Frammento	Corey Nakatani	Nick Zito	66-1

Race Preview

Garry Jones/Associated Press

The race comes down to one question: Can anyone take down American Pharoah? The young colt has not lost since his debut, a fifth-place finish that did not show the potential he'd bring to his next four events. Pharoah has looked especially strong in his last two races, blasting the field at the Rebel Stakes and Arkansas Derby.

Legendary trainer D. Wayne Lukas made no bones about who he thought had the best shot at winning in an interview with Jennie Rees of The Courier-Journal: 

"

I don't think there's any doubt about it. Sometimes a horse like that comes along. We also say, 'The Derby, a lot of time the best horse doesn't win.' All the usual. But to me, first of all, American Pharoah has a world-class rider. Secondly, he's got a trainer who darn sure knows what to do and has been there and done it. And he's got the style that you want if you're a trainer. He lays really close or on the pace, and then he's got a devastating kick.

"

Bob Baffert will stop at nothing to make sure his prized horse gets to the finish line first. Baffert has not won a Kentucky Derby since War Emblem raced to the title in 2002, a streak that undoubtedly sticks in the trainer's craw. Once the hottest name on the circuit, Baffert has won just one Triple Crown race in the last decade.

"I think there's always pressure, but there's a lot of anxiety that goes with," Baffert told Jonathan Lintner of The Courier-Journal. "Fortunately, I have a lot of horses on the under card that will keep me busy. There's always that pressure, but it's a good pressure, to me."

Garry Jones/Associated Press

Of course, if American Pharoah doesn't work out, Baffert could always go to his backup plan: second favorite Dortmund. The rising thoroughbred is without a loss on his resume heading into Saturday's action. Dortmund took the Santa Anita Derby and San Felipe Stakes in fine fashion earlier this year and has big-race pedigree in the form of his father, Big Brown. His one previous win at Churchill Downs also gives him a leg up on the competition that will be competing on the track for the first time.

Baffert compared the horses, per Lintner.

"

They're two different types. Dortmund, he's all lanky—built like a greyhound. This horse (American Pharoah)—he's more of a full package. Like Shaq and Kobe Bryant, you know? But they're both really good horses, and we don't know how good they really are.

"

Baffert's duo will be going up against a field that a couple of Todd Pletcher-trained stars will spearhead. Carpe Diem and Materiality will line up alongside one another near the inside post, likely battling with one another for inside position early on. Carpe Diem has taken the Tampa Bay Derby and Blue Grass Stakes following his second-place finish at last year's Juvenile Breeders' Cup.

We'll be finding out how well Baffert and Pletcher trained their two stars later this evening. For now, the trainers get to feel on top of the world as they capture the attention of the horse racing world. 

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.