The Kentucky Derby 2017 is just about here! The 143rd "Run for the Roses" arrives on Saturday with horse racing fans ready to cheer on their favorite contenders. The big event arrives a day after the Kentucky Oaks races and could produce a Triple Crown winner to make history this year. With mint juleps in hand, many spectators will be watching this race live from the track at Churchill Downs, while many more people will be watching from home or other areas. Here's the latest information on what time and TV channel the Kentucky Derby 2017 edition will be on, as well as top contender odds and how to watch a live stream of the race.

Race info & contender odds

Billed as "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports," this race kicks off the Triple Crown potential for its winner. The Kentucky Derby is followed by the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes. Each year there's possible anticipation that history will be made by a horse winning all three races to achieve the famous Triple Crown.

Three-year-old thoroughbred horses participate in this event over a distance of 1-1/4 miles at Churchill Downs. This year's installment brings with it a guaranteed purse of $2 million for the winners. This year's edition of the Kentucky Derby features a total of 20 horses competing for the big prize. That makes it a wide-open field of contenders.

However, there are still some favorites on the board as of this report.

One of the sentimental favorites for Saturday's race will be a horse named Patch. Listed at the No. 20 post position, Patch currently has 14 to 1 odds. The horse also has just one eye after losing an eye during the past year. This could make for a huge story if Patch captures the win, as the "one-eyed horse" could also capture the hearts of people everywhere.

Patch may be a favorite for some people in terms of the horse's story, but the horse has odds listed below several other contenders. As of this report, the Kentucky Derby website listed Always Dreaming (No.

5) with the best odds at 4 to 1 overall. Next up was Irish War Cry (No. 17) at 5 to 1 odds, followed by Mccracken (No. 15) at 6 to 1 odds. Fourth was Classic Empire (No. 14) at 7 to 1 odds. Gunnerva (No. 10 post) came in fifth on the odds listing with 9 to 1 odds to win.

That also leaves some major longshots for Saturday's race. As of right now, the biggest underdogs for horses at the derby will be State of Honor (No. 6) at 45 to 1 odds, J Boys Echo (No. 13) at 43 to 1 odds, Battle of Midway (No. 11) at 40 to 1 odds, Sonneteer (No. 12) at 37 to 1 odds, and the No. 3 post horse Fast and Accurate (33 to 1). Odds will be changing right up until the start of the race, so these could be changing by the minute.

Basically, this is a race where any horse could win and make a bettor rich. If a major longshot sneaks into the final three or even wins, it could be a hefty payday for risk takers. It could also make for a major story in sports as the horse could go on to contend for the Triple Crown.

How to watch it live

Television coverage of the race starts at 2:30 p.m. Eastern Time and runs through 7:15 p.m. Eastern Time. The Kentucky Derby post time takes place at approximately 6:46 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturday night. Viewers can watch the live televised coverage on their NBC affiliate channel. In addition, there is a live streaming feed available for the race.

The NBC Sports Live Extra website or mobile apps are the exclusive way to watch a Kentucky Derby 2017 live stream online. Cable and satellite subscribers with NBC as part of their channel package can log in to the website or compatible apps to view the race feed. More details are available at the NBCSports.com website.
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