It is just about time for mint juleps, extravagant hats, and the fastest two minutes in sports.

The 150th Kentucky Derby, the first leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown, is Saturday. Coverage begins on NBC and Peacock at 2:30P ET. USA Network and Peacock will have live Derby Day coverage from 12-2:20 p.m. ET.

Viewers can stream Derby Day coverage on Peacock, NBCSports.com, and the NBC Sports app.

USA Network and Peacock will also have Kentucky Oaks coverage Friday from 1-6 p.m. ET.

Fierceness (5-2) is the Derby favorite, and he got a boost today when Encino scratched. That moved Fierceness and jockey John Velazquez to from Post 17 to 16. Post Position 16. No horse has ever won the Derby from Post 17 but Post 16 has housed ten winners.

The Florida Derby winner will look to claim the majority of the record 5-million-dollar purse but will have a full field with whom to contend.

Bet the Edge is your source for the day in sports betting. Get all of Jay Croucher and Drew Dinsick’s insight weekdays at 6AM ET right here or wherever you get your podcasts.

Fierceness is the fastest horse in the field, but Sierra Leone (3-1) is consistently strong and just a nose from being a perfect 4-0. Purchased for 2.3 million dollars two years ago, the Chad Brown-trained horse has yet to run a bad race. Other challengers include Catching Freedom (8-1), Forever Young (10-1), and Just a Touch (10-1) are the other primary contenders for the Derby crown.

Looking to place a wager on the Kentucky Derby? Read below for a quick synopsis of each horse along with highlights from his biggest race and an analysis of his chances in the Derby courtesy of NBC Sports’ horse racing experts.

The Tale of the Tape
Where: Churchill Downs in Louisville, KY
Who: 20, 3-year-old horses
Purse: $5,000,000
Distance: 1¼ miles
Post Time: 6:57P ET
Forecast: 79 degrees with a 35% chance of rain
Network: NBC and Peacock

The field is listed below post positions 1-20 along with pertinent betting info.

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Read More: The Draw for the 150th Kentucky Derby

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FOREVER YOUNG (10-1)

• Trainer: Y. Yahagi | Jockey: R. Sakai
• Won the UAE Derby
• 5-0 in 5 starts but UAE winners are 0-19 at the Derby

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Grand Mo the First (50-1)

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Enjoy the race and a couple of sweats.

The Kentucky Wildcats have been on a tear in the transfer portal, but they’re still searching for a true point guard.

Elijah Hawkins won’t be solving those issues.

On Tuesday, Hawkins committed to Texas Tech, according to Joe Tipton. Hawkins was planning to visit Kentucky sometime this week, but the Red Raiders nabbed his commitment before a trip to Lexington could happen.

The 5-foot-11, 165-pound guard was originally a class of 2021 signee of Howard, where he spent two seasons before landing at Minnesota in 2023. This past season, Hawkins averaged 9.5 points on 39.3% shooting (36.4% on 3-pointers), 7.5 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.6 steals in 33.3 minutes per game.

Hawkins was easily one of the best passers in the portal, but he’s now off the board. It’s unclear if Utah point guard Deivon Smith is still a possibility after he was reportedly no longer likely to end up at Kentucky.

Kadary Richmond is still available, and Kentucky recently made contact. But for now, the Seton Hall transfer is expected to land at St. John’s.

Lamont Butler can run the point, but he primarily played off the ball at San Diego State.

Kentucky has some work to do to find a true point guard for next season.

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Mark Stoops Blue-White Game

The transfer portal closes at midnight but the Wildcats’ work is far from finished. Kentucky is making a move for a defensive lineman who’s become a popular player over the last ten days.

Jay’viar Suggs is a 6-foot-3, 295-pound defensive lineman from Division II Grand Valley State. He entered the transfer portal on April 21 and has since received scholarship offers from 37 schools. Kentucky entered the mix over the weekend and made a significant impression early in the process.

A source tells KSR that the Wildcats are expected to host Suggs for an official visit. He recently completed a trip to Arkansas and has scheduled a visit to Florida State for this weekend.

Last year Suggs tallied 21 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, and a forced fumble. A graduate transfer, Suggs has two years of eligibility remaining.

The strength of the Kentucky defense is the front seven. A stout run-stopping group, there’s plenty of talent up front on Brad White’s defense and a ton of depth in the trenches. That depth was pushed to the limit this spring. Kentucky was forced to take tackling out of the equation in the Blue-White Spring Game after the Wildcats suffered eight injuries on the defensive line. Even though Mark Stoops believes most of those players will be available once the season begins, Kentucky still feels the need to bring in reinforcements.

Kentucky already kicked the tires on one defensive lineman from outside of the FBS ranks. Brandon Lane was interested but never made it to campus, ultimately committing to Michigan State. The Cats are stepping up to the plate once again with Suggs in the hopes of adding another player from the portal this spring.

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KSR has been delivering UK Sports news in the most ridiculous manner for almost two decades. Now, you can get even more coverage of the Cats with KSR+. With the transfer portal open for both basketball and football, now is the perfect time to join our online community. Subscribe now for premium articles, in-depth scouting reports, inside intel, bonus recruiting coverage, and access to KSBoard, our message board featuring thousands of Kentucky fans around the globe. Just $1 gets you one month of access. Come join the club.