Break out the wide-brimmed hats and mint juleps! The 151st Kentucky Derby will be held on Saturday, May 3. For business owners, the annual “Run for the Roses” is a great opportunity to attract new customers, boost your bottom line and encourage people to come in not only for the Kentucky Derby, but for all the Triple Crown races.
This guide will tell you everything you need to know about the Kentucky Derby, so you can give your customers a front-row seat to the Winner’s Circle with DIRECTV for Business.
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What Is The Kentucky Derby?
The Kentucky Derby, also known as “The Run for the Roses,” is the first race of the Triple Crown. The first race was run on May 17, 1875, and has become one of the most prestigious horse races in the world. The best three-year-old thoroughbred horses race 1 ¼ miles (10 furlongs) at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, to see who will be that year’s champion.
The race itself is short: only two minutes. However, many fans tune in hours earlier to watch coverage leading up to the race to learn about the horses, jockeys and the time-honored traditions of the Kentucky Derby.
Why Show The Kentucky Derby At Your Business?
The 2024 Kentucky Derby was one of the most-watched (and most exciting) “Run for the Roses.” According to Churchill Downs, an average of 16.7 million viewers tuned in to watch Mystick Dan beat out Sierra Leone and Forever Young in a historic three-horse photo finish. Viewership peaked at 20.1 million, making it the most-watched Kentucky Derby since 1989.
As the Kentucky Derby grows in popularity, it’s a great opportunity for sports bars and restaurants to draw in customers by showing the event.
When Is the 2025 Kentucky Derby?
The 2025 Kentucky Derby will be held on Saturday, May 3.
2025 Kentucky Derby TV Schedule
Post time is 3:57 p.m. PT/6:57 p.m. ET and TV coverage will begin at 11:30 a.m. PT/2:30 p.m. ET. The race will be aired on NBC and USA Network, which business owners can show with DIRECTV for BUSINESS.
Who’s Racing in the 2025 Kentucky Derby?
A lot of great horses, and equally captivating names, are on the lineup this year. Explore this year’s racers.
Subject to change.
|
Post Position |
Horse |
Trainer |
Jockey |
|
1 |
Citizen Bull |
Bob Baffert |
Martin Garcia |
|
2 |
Neoequos |
Saffie Joseph Jr. |
Flavien Prat |
|
3 |
Final Gambit |
Brad H. Cox |
Luan Machado |
|
4 |
Rodriguez |
Bob Baffert |
Mike E. Smith |
|
5 |
American Promise |
D. Wayne Lukas |
Nik Juarez |
|
6 |
Admire Daytona |
Yukihiro Kato |
Christophe Lemaire |
|
7 |
Luxor Café |
Noriyuki Hori |
João Moreira |
|
8 |
Journalism |
Michael W. McCarthy |
Umberto Rispoli |
|
9 |
Burnham Square |
Ian R. Wilkes |
Brian Hernandez Jr. |
|
10 |
Grande |
Todd A. Pletcher |
John R. Velazquez |
|
11 |
Flying Mohawk |
Whit Beckman |
Joseph Ramos |
|
12 |
East Avenue |
Brendan P. Walsh |
Manuel Franco |
|
13 |
Publisher |
Steven M. Asmussen |
Irad Ortiz Jr. |
|
14 |
Tiztastic |
Steven M. Asmussen |
Joel Rosario |
|
15 |
Render Judgment |
Kenneth G. McPeek |
Julien Leparoux |
|
16 |
Coal Battle |
Lonnie Briley |
Juan Vargas |
|
17 |
Sandman |
Mark E. Casse |
José Ortiz |
|
18 |
Sovereignty |
William I. Mott |
Junior Alvarado |
|
19 |
Chunk Of Gold |
Ethan West |
Jareth Loveberry |
|
20 |
Owen Almighty |
Brian A. Lynch |
Javier Castellano |
|
Alternate 21 |
Baeza |
John Shirreffs |
Flavien Prat |
Triple Crown Races
The Kentucky Derby is the first of three races that make up the Triple Crown. It’s followed by the Preakness Stakes in Baltimore, Maryland, aka “The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans.” The final leg is the Belmont Stakes held in Elmont, New York, and known as “The Test of the Champion.” This is the longest and most challenging of all the races. A horse has to win all three races in the same year to be named a Triple Crown Champion. Only thirteen horses have ever won the Triple Crown to date.
Here’s the schedule of the 2025 Triple Crown races to help plan which races to show at your business:
Kentucky Derby | May 3
Preakness Stakes | May 17
Belmont Stakes | June 7
How to Promote the 2025 Kentucky Derby At Your Business
Here are a few things you can do to help make your bar or restaurant a go-to destination for the Kentucky Derby.
- Big Screen Viewing Party: Encourage customers to come watch “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” on the big screen at your bar or restaurant. Make sure you have plenty of seating so everyone has a front row seat to the action.
- Encourage Derby Day Attire: The Kentucky Derby fashion is just as iconic as the race itself. Encourage customers to dress up to watch the race with impressive hats, dapper suits, bright colors and fun floral dresses. You can make it a contest and give out prizes for best hat or best dressed.
- Derby-Themed Food & Drink Specials: It wouldn’t be the Kentucky Derby without serving Mint Juleps. You can also add other classic Derby Day cocktails like Oaks Lily and Bourbon Sours and pair with Southern-inspired food offerings like Hot Brown Sliders, Pimento cheese dip, bourbon BBQ wings, mac and cheese, Derby pie bars and more.
- Generate Excitement For the Kentucky Derby: Let horse racing fans know you’ll be showing the Kentucky Derby at your bar or restaurant through social media, eblasts, flyers and other marketing materials. It’s also a great opportunity to invite customers back to watch the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes.
- Get customized materials with MVP: Order custom coasters, posters, banners and more to promote your business or bar with the MVP Marketing Program.
Provide a Win For Your Business with DIRECTV
Being able to bring your customers must-watch events like the Kentucky Derby is just the beginning with DIRECTV for BUSINESS. DIRECTV delivers the highest value with the best programming, cutting-edge tech and top-rated customer satisfaction. And with 99% worry-free signal reliability, you’ll never have to worry about your customers missing a second of the action. DIRECTV for BUSINESS also gives businesses hassle-free customer service and free standard professional installation. Plus, DIRECTV’s Sports Bar Finder provides an easy way for fans to find bars that offer DIRECTV.
Get DIRECTV for BUSINESS
Ready to give your business a boost by showing the Kentucky Derby and other sports events? DIRECTV offers the ultimate business TV experience with exclusive sports programming with ESPN+ for Business, MLB EXTRA INNINGS, NFL Sunday Ticket and so much more. Call 888.303.9117 to get started today!
