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Saturday, May 5, 2012 is the date of the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby, with an exact post time set for 6:24 P.M. EDT. NBC will broadcast this tradition-rich event, which is the longest continuously held sporting event in North American sports history.

The Woodford Reserve Turf Classic, one of three Grade 1 stakes races to be run as part of the Kentucky Derby program on May 5, is the major springtime target for North America's best turf horses. Held annually since 1987, the $500,000 Turf Classic has been previously won by such champions as Manila (1987) and English Channel (2006), as well as a handful of Breeders' Cup winners.

The Run for the Roses. The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports. These two nicknames are instantly recognized as names for the Kentucky Derby, held annually on the first Saturday in May at historic Churchill Downs Racetrack in Louisville, Kentucky.

The 138th running of the Kentucky Derby is fast approaching on Saturday, May 5, 2012 with an exact post time of 6:24 PM EDT, and for the 138th consecutive time since its inauguration in 1875 (imagine that, a time before there was such a thing as a refrigerator, a World War I or II, a coffee machine, or before an evil dictator like Joseph Stalin or Adolf Hitler was even CONCEIVED), the eyes of the

Well, most of the major Kentucky Derby prep races are in the books now. The Florida Derby was a bit surprising, with Calvin Borel leading the A.P. Indy colt Take Charge Indy to a well-deserved victory, with Reveron finishing second and the 6-5 favorite Union Rags finishing third.

The final stretch of the 2012 Kentucky Derby prep season is well underway, and already there have been some major shocks that once again have handicappers and racing fans alike throwing their hands up in the air, asking the pleading question, “Will a clear Kentucky Derby favorite please show himself?” So far, the answer is no.

The 138th running of the Kentucky Derby will commence on Saturday, May 5, 2012 at Churchill Downs in beautiful Louisville, Kentucky, with a post time slated for 6:24 P.M.

The Louisiana Derby dates back to 1894 and has been contested annually, with just a few exceptions, at one of the most historic racing sites in the United States. Considered a major prep race for the Kentucky Derby, the Grade 2 Louisiana Derby is contested at 1 1/8-miles and carries a purse of $1 million.

When “racinos,” a combination racetrack and casino, began to crop up across the country more than a decade ago, a byproduct of that change was new paths to the Kentucky Derby were forged. One example of this can be found in New Mexico, where the Grade 3, $800,000 Sunland Park Derby is now squarely on the radar of potential Kentucky Derby contenders.

Mike Smith is certainly one of the very best jockeys in the United States horse racing scene today, but a look back at his career suggests clearly that he is one of the best jockeys of all time, not of just this time. When it’s all said and done, his name will go down with the other all-time greats from his and other eras.