NBC Sports has you covered this weekend with 15 live races from Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. It all starts Friday, May 1 on Peacock with a special five hours of coverage of the 2026 Kentucky Oaks — the biggest race for three-year-old fillies in the U.S. — beginning at 4:00 p.m. ET on Peacock and continuing in primetime on NBC at 8 p.m. ET.
The excitement continues on Saturday, May 2 with a full day of Kentucky Derby coverage, starting 12 p.m. on Peacock and continuing at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. See below for additional information on how to watch the 2026 Kentucky Oaks and 2026 Kentucky Derby.
The Kentucky Oaks event was first run on May 19, 1875, by Colonel Meriwether Lewis Clark, the same founder of the Kentucky Derby, and takes place annually, one day before the Run for the Roses.
Trainer Brad Cox and jockey Luis Saez started last year's Derby weekend with a win in the 2025 Kentucky Oaks with heavy favorite Good Cheer. It was Cox's third Oaks win in seven years and Saez's second win in three years. This year, Cox is bringing Prom Queen to the Oaks, who is coming off a win in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2).
Todd Pletcher, who didn't have a horse in last year's race, brings morning-line favorite Zany, who enters this week's event coming off a second place finish in the Ashland Stakes (G1). Zany is the daughter of 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah and could bring Pletcher his 5th career Kentucky Oaks win.
How to watch the 2026 Kentucky Oaks:
• Date: Friday, May 1
• Time: Live coverage begins at 4:00 p.m. ET
• Where: Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky
• TV Network: NBC
• Streaming: Peacock, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app
When is the 2026 Kentucky Derby?
The 2026 Kentucky Derby takes place this Saturday, May 2 at noon ET on Peacock, and then heads over at 2:30 PM ET to NBC and Peacock.
Related: How to get Kentucky Derby tickets
How to watch the 2026 Kentucky Derby:
• Date: Saturday, May 2
• Time: Live coverage begins at 12:00 PM ET
• Where: Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky
• TV Network: NBC
• Streaming: Peacock, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app
How to watch Horse Racing on Peacock:
NBC Sports is the exclusive home to the most important and prestigious events in horse racing, including the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Royal Ascot, and Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series.
Click here to sign up and follow all of the horse racing action.
What devices does Peacock support?
You can enjoy Peacock on a variety of devices. View the full list of supported devices here.
