Hours away from post time for the 2026 Kentucky Derby, the weather at Churchill Downs is expected to be close to perfect for horse racing's biggest day.

Considering it's annually held on the first weekend in May, the weather at the Kentucky Derby is typically favorable. Most years, the sun is shining with warm weather in Louisville, Kentucky, as some of the best three-year-old thoroughbred horses compete in "The Run for the Roses.

The 2026 Kentucky Derby will go off at 6:57 p.m. ET, but there’s a full day of racing at Churchill Downs ahead of the Run for the Roses. The first race on the card goes off at 11 a.m. sharp, and the first stakes race is the fourth contest on the card,

The 2026 Kentucky Derby is May 2 in Louisville, Kentucky. Gates open at 9 a.m., and the first post is scheduled for 11 a.m. There are 14 races in total, but the official Kentucky Derby post time is 6:57 p.m. ET. The 150th Run for the Roses will be race No. 12 of the day.

Year after year, the eyes of the world turn to Louisville, Kentucky, for the annual running of the world's most famous horse race: The Kentucky Derby. The FOX Weather Risk Of Weather Impact is a LOW – partly cloudy with 10 mph wind and temperatures hovering in the high 50s.

DIRECTV is one of the only streaming services that is allowed to broadcast NBC. Additionally, DIRECTV currently offers a five-day free trial to new users. With this in mind, DIRECTV is the best option to watch the 2026 Kentucky Derby for free today.

Anyone tuning into the Kentucky Derby each May sees not only plenty of horses, but plenty of hats. The fashion at Churchill Downs is, at times, just as impressive as the fastest horses in America, and the tradition of wearing eye-popping hats is only growing year after year.