Kentucky Derby Start Time 2015: TV Schedule and Post Time for Churchill Downs
Post positions are set, meaning it's time to finally focus on the 2015 Kentucky Derby start time and the final days of preparation leading up to the 141st running of the first leg of the Triple Crown from Churchill Downs.
Twenty horses enter the field as Derby hopefuls, though only one will have the opportunity to wear the blanket of 554 roses bestowed upon the winner of this historic race.
In order to tune in to the action Saturday, be sure to familiarize yourself with the following TV information regarding post time and more.
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TV Schedule
| Wed., April 29 | Kentucky Derby Draw | 5:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. ET | NBCSN |
| Thu., April 30 | Kentucky Derby Access | 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. ET | NBCSN |
| Fri., May 1 | Kentucky Oaks | 12:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. ET | NBCSN |
| Sat., May 2 | Derby Prep | 12 p.m. - 4 p.m. ET | NBCSN |
| Sat., May 2 | Kentucky Derby | 4 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. ET | NBC |
Note: Post time for the Kentucky Derby is approximately 6:24 p.m. ET, via KentuckyDerby.com.
Post Positions
| 1 | Ocho Ocho Ocho | Elvis Trujillo | Jim Cassidy | 50-1 |
| 2 | Carpe Diem | John Velazquez | Todd Pletcher | 8-1 |
| 3 | Materiality | Javier Castellano | Todd Pletcher | 12-1 |
| 4 | Tencendur | Manny Franco | George Weaver | 30-1 |
| 5 | Danzig Moon | Julien Leparoux | Mark Casse | 30-1 |
| 6 | Mubtaahij | Christophe Soumillion | Mike de Kock | 20-1 |
| 7 | El Kabeir | Calvin Borel | John Terranova II | 30-1 |
| 8 | Dortmund | Martin Garcia | Bob Baffert | 3-1 |
| 9 | Bolo | Rafael Bejarano | Carla Gaines | 30-1 |
| 10 | Firing Line | Gary Stevens | Simon Callaghan | 12-1 |
| 11 | Stanford | Florent Geroux | Todd Pletcher | 30-1 |
| 12 | International Star | Miguel Mena | Mike Maker | 20-1 |
| 13 | Itsaknockout | Luis Saez | Todd Pletcher | 30-1 |
| 14 | Keen Ice | Kent Desormeaux | Dale Romans | 50-1 |
| 15 | Frosted | Joel Rosario | Kiaran McLaughlin | 15-1 |
| 16 | War Story | Joe Talamo | Tom Amoss | 50-1 |
| 17 | Mr. Z | Ramon Vazquez | D. Wayne Lukas | 50-1 |
| 18 | American Pharoah | Victor Espinoza | Bob Baffert | 5-2 |
| 19 | Upstart | Jose Ortiz | Rick Violette Jr. | 15-1 |
| 20 | Far Right | Mike Smith | Ron Moquett | 30-1 |
Analysis
The field for this year's Run for the Roses figures to be as packed as it has been in the past several years, with two horses—both trained by Bob Baffert—at the top of the list of potential winners.
Those two horses—American Pharoah and Dortmund—are consensus favorites for good reason. Yahoo Sports' Pat Forde showed why American Pharoah should be a force to be reckoned with by sharing a tweet summing up his workout:
That workout was so impressive that others spoke up about the showing:
American Pharoah will be jockeyed by Victor Espinoza, the same man who led California Chrome to within one win of the Triple Crown last year.
Dortmund would probably be the favorite in most of the previous runnings of this race, but American Pharoah's incredible physical gifts make the colt hard to surpass. If you want to keep your eyes on one rivalry of sorts, then don't take your eyes off the front of the pack. That's where American Pharoah and Dortmund will most likely be.
There are no guarantees in horse racing, though, so a dark-horse contender could easily emerge from the pack and steal the first leg of the Triple Crown.
The No. 10 post position has been the most successful starting position since gates were introduced in 1930, with horses leaving the gate at this slot winning an impressive 11.5 percent of the time. With an average finish position of 7.53—the second-highest among post positions—the horse who begins here is set up for success.
This year, that horse is Firing Line.
Firing Line had been chosen as a dark-horse candidate by some prior to being named the horse that will start from the coveted No. 10 position. This prediction comes after Firing Line lost by just a head to Dortmund in February's Robert B. Lewis Stakes.
It was that run that gave his trainer, Simon Callaghan, confidence heading into this race. Callaghan spoke to Don Agriss of The Sports Network, via the Idaho Statesman, about where he sees Firing Line: "Obviously, he's run against very good company. Dortmund won the (Santa Anita) Derby extremely well, and I think our horse has progressed since then, so I think we're going to Kentucky with a very good shot."
Assuming Firing Line is capable of at least keeping close to Dortmund, American Pharoah should also be within reach. All it takes is one slip-up by another horse to give Firing Line the opportunity he needs to advance. And given the colt's luck at securing the No. 10 position, it appears as if things are working in his favor.
It's a daunting task to choose a winner in races of this magnitude. Overwhelming favorites such as American Pharoah and Dortmund are perhaps the safest predictions, but you'd be remiss not to consider a horse such as Firing Line.
Expect a shootout to the finish Saturday evening, with multiple horses poised to make runs at the Run for the Roses. A hefty purse awaits the winning team, so there's plenty of motivation for jockey, trainer and owner alike.
Note: Historical post information courtesy of KentuckyDerby.com.
Kenny DeJohn is a Breaking News Team Featured Columnist. Follow him on Twitter.
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