Kentucky Derby 2017 Post Time: TV Schedule, Weather Forecast for 143rd Race
The weather is always a potential X-factor when it comes to the Kentucky Derby, and it may once again play a significant role in Saturday's 143rd running of the race.
May in Louisville can be an unpredictable time in terms of weather, and it has led to some sloppy, slow tracks with regard to the Run For the Roses in past years.
Ahead of the "most exciting two minutes in sports," here is everything you need to know about when and how to watch the Kentucky Derby, as well as a breakdown of what type of weather to expect for the race.
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Where: Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky
Post Time: Saturday, May 6 at 6:34 p.m. ET
Watch: NBC
Live Stream: NBC Sports Live
| 1 | Lookin at Lee | Steve Asmussen | Corey Lanerie | 20-1 |
| 2 | Thunder Snow | Saeed bin Suroor | Christophe Soumillon | 20-1 |
| 3 | Fast and Accurate | Mike Maker | Channing Hill | 50-1 |
| 4 | Untrapped | Steve Asmussen | Ricardo Santana Jr. | 30-1 |
| 5 | Always Dreaming | Todd Pletcher | John Velazquez | 5-1 |
| 6 | State of Honor | Mark Casse | Jose Lezcano | 30-1 |
| 7 | Girvin | Joe Sharp | Mike Smith | 15-1 |
| 8 | Hence | Steve Asmussen | Florent Geroux | 15-1 |
| 9 | Irap | Doug O'Neill | Mario Gutierrez | 20-1 |
| 10 | Gunnevera | Antonio Sano | Javier Castellano | 15-1 |
| 11 | Battle of Midway | Jerry Hollendorfer | Flavien Prat | 30-1 |
| 12 | Sonneteer | Keith Desormeaux | Kent Desormeaux | 50-1 |
| 13 | J Boys Echo | Dale Romans | Luis Saez | 20-1 |
| 14 | Classic Empire | Mark Casse | Julien Leparoux | 4-1 |
| 15 | McCraken | Ian Wilkes | Brian Hernandez | 5-1 |
| 16 | Tapwrit | Todd Pletcher | Jose Ortiz | 20-1 |
| 17 | Irish War Cry | Graham Motion | Rajiv Maragh | 6-1 |
| 18 | Gormley | John Shirreffs | Victor Espinoza | 15-1 |
| 19 | Practical Joke | Chad Brown | Joel Rosario | 20-1 |
| 20 | Patch | Todd Pletcher | Tyler Gaffalione | 30-1 |
Weather Forecast
| 61 degrees | 70% chance | WNW 14 mph | 63% |
Temperatures for the Kentucky Derby are expected to be cool, with a high of just over 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and there will almost certainly be precipitation to deal with during the day as well.
According to Weather.com, there is an 70 percent chance of rain Saturday, but the showers wll primarily occur in the morning with cloudy skies throughout the afternoon.
Per Kevin Byrne of AccuWeather, a good or fast track is still expected for the Kentucky Derby despite the rain.
AccuWeather meteorologist Brian Thompson told Byrne that the rain isn't likely to make a massive impact on the track condition or the overall scene for the Run For the Roses: "While rain gear will be a good idea, [the race] does not look like a washout, and rainfall amounts should be not be all that heavy. By post time for the Derby...there's a good chance it will be dry, and the sun may even break through by then."
A sloppy track can be a great equalizer in terms of allowing less talented horses to compete with the elite, but the way the forecast is shaping up suggests that won't be an issue.
Even so, the 2017 Kentucky Derby field appears to be fairly wide open, with several different horses having a legitimate chance to cross the finish line first.
Provided the rain is relegated to the morning and doesn't do too much damage to the track, the likes of Classic Empire, Always Dreaming and Irish War Cry should continue to be viewed as the top contenders leading up to post time.
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