Kentucky Derby 2018: TV Schedule, Post Time, Undercard and Weekend Race Info

The most exciting two minutes in sports will have its annual time in the spotlight Saturday night, but there's much more to the Kentucky Derby than just the Run for the Roses. 

Beyond the main event, there are a slew of big races that will unfold both Friday and Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. 

Below, you'll find a rundown of when and where you can catch all of the weekend's action. That includes Friday's Kentucky Oaks, Saturday's Kentucky Derby undercards and the Run for the Roses itself. 

Kentucky Oaks 

Date: Friday, May 4

TV: NBCSN (Coverage begins at 5 p.m. ET); Undercards televised on NBCSN from 12-3 p.m. ET

Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra

Post Time: 6:12 p.m. ET

Race week starts to ramp up on Friday, when the Kentucky Oaks takes center stage at Churchill Downs 24 hours before the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby. 

A $1 million Grade 1 stakes, the Oaks annually showcases the top three-year-old fillies. This year, it's the 11th race on a 13-race card. 

Here's a look at the field, with odds for each contender, courtesy of the Courier-Journal's Chris White: 

• 1. Sassy Sienna, 16-1
• 2. Coach Rocks, 9-1
• 3. Classy Act, 20-1
• 4. Chocolate Martini, 18-1
• 5. Wonder Gadot, 22-1
• 6. Kelly's Humor, 25-1
• 7. Rayya, 9-1
• 8. Heavenhasmynikki, 33-1
• 9. Take Charge Paula, 14-1
• 10. Midnight Bisou, 9-4
• 11. My Miss Lilly, 10-1
• 12. Patrona Margarita, 50-1
• 13. Eskimo Kisses, 14-1
• 14. Monomoy Girl, 5-2 

As those odds indicate, Midnight Bisou should trot into the proceedings as the favorite with Monomoy Girl the second choice in the 14th and final post position. 

Midnight Bisou, who is trained by William Spawr, enters the Oaks a winner of three straight—including a triumphant run at last month's Santa Anita Oaks. 

Monomoy Girl, meanwhile, has won two straight and five of her six starts overall dating back to last September. The lone exception came at November's Golden Rod Grade 2 Stakes, when the Brad Cox-trained filly finished second behind Road to Victory at Churchill Downs. 

Kentucky Derby Undercards

Date: Saturday, May 5

TV: NBCSN (Coverage begins at 12 p.m. ET)

Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra

Time: Races begin at 10:30 a.m. ET 

The big day gets underway at 10:30 a.m. ET with undercards galore. In total, 11 races will unfold before the Run for the Roses, with two additional races scheduled for 7:50 p.m. and 8:20 p.m. ET. 

The full schedule is available through the Derby's official website. 

Perhaps the most exciting undercard to watch will be the 32nd running of the Old Forester Turf Classic. The $500,000 Grade 2 stakes will immediately precede the Kentucky Derby and features 10 contenders in the following post positions: 

• 1. Deauville
• 2. Shining Copper
• 3. Kurilov
• 4. Camelot Kitten
• 5. Channel Maker
• 6. Arklow
• 7. Synchrony
• 8. Editore
• 9. Yoshida
• 10. Beach Patrol

The horse to watch in that field will be Beach Patrol, who's starting in post No. 10. 

Trained by Chad Brown, Beach Patrol put together a fine finishing kick to the 2017 season when he logged consecutive wins at the Arlington Million and Joe Hirsch Turf Classic. 

According to Brisnet.com's Vance Hanson, Beach Patrol joined John Henry (1984) and Sulamani (2003) as the only horses to win those races in the same year. 

Since then, Beach Patrol's lone outing has come at the Breeders' Cup Turf—where he finished a half-length behind Talismanic for second. 

If Beach Patrol doesn't come away with his third win in four starts, it will likely be because Deauville or Synchrony spoils his party. 

Deauville finished second at last month's Earl Of Sefton Stakes, while Synchrony has rattled off two straight wins and hasn't finished worse than second in five starts on turf, per Hanson. 

144th Kentucky Derby

Date: Saturday, May 5

TV: NBC (coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. ET)

Live Stream: NBC Sports Live Extra

Race Time: 6:46 p.m. ET

The main event will unfold as dusk approaches on the East Coast, and the action shouldn't disappoint. 

This year's field includes 20 horses, and the Bob Baffert-trained Justify looks the part of a potential Triple Crown threat. As such, the three-year-old colt has been installed as the early favorite out of post No. 7, according to OddsShark: 

Justify is a perfect three-of-three since debuting in February, with his most recent win coming in the Santa Anita Derby in a time of one minute, 49.72 seconds. 

"When I worked him the first time at Santa Anita, he did something really incredible in the morning," Baffert said, according to USA Today's Dan Wolken. "The time wasn't that fast, but just the way he did it.

"There's nothing like knowing you have a horse like that and you go, man. You just know this is the goods right here. This is the goods."

However, Justify is far from a lock even though he's wielding the top odds.  

Second favorite Mendelssohn has registered three straight wins and, despite not generating much buzz because of his international background, has the chops to become the first European horse to ever win the Kentucky Derby. 

As the Washington Post's Neil Greenberg noted: "He has victories in four countries (United Arab Emirates, Britain, Ireland and the United States) over three surfaces (dirt, synthetic and turf) in seven lifetime starts. His win in the UAE Derby was in 1:55.18, more than a second faster than the previous record of 1:56.61, set by Mizbah in January 2017."

Florida Derby winner Audible will also generate buzz as a contender, but the real name to watch is Bolt d'Oro. 

Not only is he coming off a solid second-place run behind Justify at Santa Anita, but history is working in his favor following a win at the 2017 FrontRunner Stakes. 

According to Greenberg, two of the last three winners at the FrontRunner Stakes—Nyquist (2016) and American Pharoah (2015)—crossed the wire first at Churchill Downs.