Saturday is a big day for horse racing as the 2011 Kentucky Derby gets underway at Churchill Downs. It's the 137th running of the Kentucky Derby, a fabled event in horse racing. The best three-year-olds are entered and the Kentucky Derby marks the beginning of the triple crown, the most sought-after, and rare, feat in horse racing. With a field of 19 horses, there's plenty to watch on Saturday, and plenty of horses to get acquainted with.
Here is a handy reference guide for Saturday's Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
Post time: The unmistakable sound of a trumpet calling horses to the post is scheduled to sound at 3:24 p.m. PDT. With races scheduled throughout the day, it's unclear whether the Kentucky Derby will go off as scheduled, however. If anything, it may be a few minutes late.
Post positions: The post positions were drawn on Wednesday in the traditional ceremony at Churchill Downs. Numbers were drawn, essentially, out of a hat, assigning horses to their post positions. The results of the draw can be found here.
Odds: Shortly after the post positions were set, the initial morning line was also released. Dialed In was installed as the morning line favorite, followed closely by Uncle Mo. With Uncle Mo out of the derby, the odds have shift as a result of early betting and the scratch. The latest odds can be found here.
TV coverage: Coverage begins at 1 p.m. on NBC and is scheduled to run until whenever the race ends and the post-race festivities conclude.
Previews and Picks: We have our preview and picks in our Kentucky Derby StoryStream. Matt Gardner breaks down how horse racing bets work over at SB Nation, as well. You can also get to know the Kentucky Derby Contenders here.
The Kentucky Derby gets underway on Saturday at Churchill Downs. Stay with our 2011 Kentucky Derby StoryStream for previews, odds and analysis up to and throughout the derby. For more on the race, head over to SB Nation's Kentucky Derby StoryStream or check out And Down The Stretch They Come.