New York 42 Kentucky Derby 2027
Churchill Downs, Louisville · Organized by Churchill Downs
- Dates
- May 1, 2027
- Format
- In person
- Where
- Churchill Downs, Louisville
- Organizer
- Churchill Downs
The race lasts about two minutes. The gates open nine hours before it.
Kentucky Derby 2027 dates
Saturday, May 1, 2027 at Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky — the 153rd Derby, and as always the first Saturday in May. The Kentucky Oaks runs the day before, on April 30.
The day itself
Gates open at 9am. Post time for the Derby is scheduled for approximately 6:57pm ET. Everything between those two numbers — a full card of racing, the infield, the hats — is what the ticket is actually for.
Two things decide whether the day is a good one and neither is the horse: where you stand, and when you arrive. Louisville prices its hotel rooms for Derby week a year ahead, and the infield and the grandstand are different events at the same address — one is a nine-hour party where you may never see a horse, the other is a seat. Buying the cheaper ticket without knowing which one it is, is the classic first Derby.
Kentucky Derby 2027: questions
When is the Kentucky Derby 2027?
Saturday, May 1, 2027 — the first Saturday in May, as always, and the 153rd running.
What time is the race?
Post time is scheduled for approximately 6:57pm ET. Gates open at 9am.
What is the Kentucky Oaks?
The Friday card at the same track, April 30, 2027. Many people who travel for the Derby go to both.
Source: Kentucky Derby checked against the source
