How Many Days Until the Kentucky Derby 2027?
May 1, 2027, a Saturday, is the Kentucky Derby, 195 days away.
195 days
until Saturday, May 1, 2027
When is the Kentucky Derby 2027?
The Kentucky Derby 2027 is on Saturday, May 1, 2027. In the United States it is the first Saturday of May. The 2028 date is Saturday, May 6.
Date may vary. Churchill Downs sets the date. The Derby almost always runs on the first Saturday in May; in 2020 it was moved to September 5.
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | May 2, 2026 | Saturday |
| 2027 | May 1, 2027 | Saturday |
| 2028 | May 6, 2028 | Saturday |
| 2029 | May 5, 2029 | Saturday |
| 2030 | May 4, 2030 | Saturday |
| 2031 | May 3, 2031 | Saturday |
Source for the date: Churchill Downs (kentuckyderby.com).
About the Kentucky Derby
Aristides won the first Kentucky Derby on May 17, 1875, in front of about 10,000 people at Churchill Downs in Louisville. The race was a mile and a half back then. It was cut to a mile and a quarter in 1896, and three-year-old Thoroughbreds have run that distance ever since, up to 20 of them at a time, in the first leg of the Triple Crown.
The winner gets draped in a blanket of 554 red roses, which is where the Run for the Roses comes from. Crowds turn up in big hats and seersucker, mint juleps go around by the thousand, and everyone sings "My Old Kentucky Home" as the horses walk onto the track. Fillies get their own race, the Kentucky Oaks, the day before. The Derby itself is over in about two minutes.
How many business days until the Kentucky Derby?
Without weekends, the Kentucky Derby is 140 weekdays away, Monday to Friday from tomorrow through Friday, April 30, 2027. Take out the 6 federal holidays on the way, Veterans Day through Washington's Birthday, and the US count is 134 business days. Each country drops its own public holidays, so the UK gets 135, Canada 135 and Australia 134.
| Holidays used | Business days | Holidays skipped |
|---|---|---|
| United States (federal holidays) | 134 | Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Washington's Birthday |
| UK (England and Wales bank holidays) | 135 | Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday |
| Canada (federal statutory holidays) | 135 | Remembrance Day, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Good Friday |
| Australia (national public holidays) | 134 | Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day, Australia Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday |
Holidays that only a state, province or employer gives, between October 19, 2026, and May 1, 2027, are still in the count. The business days calculator can take yours out.
Common questions
Counting today, how many days until the Kentucky Derby?
196. Today, Sunday, October 18, is the first of them; the 195 at the top starts from tomorrow. Not counting today, that's 27 weeks and 6 days, and from midnight tonight it's 4,680 hours.
Is the Kentucky Derby a holiday in 2027?
No. It isn't a US federal holiday, so banks and offices keep their usual Saturday hours on May 1.
What time does the Kentucky Derby start?
Late in the day, around 7 p.m. Eastern. Churchill Downs sets the post time each year, and TV coverage starts hours earlier.
How long is the Kentucky Derby race?
A mile and a quarter, which takes the winner about two minutes. Secretariat still holds the record, 1:59 2/5 from 1973.
Countdown milestones to the Kentucky Derby
The countdown to the Kentucky Derby reaches 100 days on Thursday, January 21, 2027 and gets down to 1 day on Friday, April 30, 2027.
| Countdown | Date |
|---|---|
| 100 days to go | Thursday, January 21, 2027 |
| 75 days to go | Monday, February 15, 2027 |
| 50 days to go | Friday, March 12, 2027 |
| 30 days to go | Thursday, April 1, 2027 |
| 14 days to go | Saturday, April 17, 2027 |
| 7 days to go | Saturday, April 24, 2027 |
| 1 day to go | Friday, April 30, 2027 |
Days until the Kentucky Derby from other dates
A week from today, on Sunday, October 25, there will be 188 days to go until the Kentucky Derby, and from Sunday, November 1 it will be 181 days.
| Counting from | Days until Kentucky Derby | Weeks and days |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, October 19, 2026 | 194 days | 27 weeks, 5 days |
| Sunday, October 25, 2026 | 188 days | 26 weeks, 6 days |
| Sunday, November 1, 2026 | 181 days | 25 weeks, 6 days |
| Tuesday, December 1, 2026 | 151 days | 21 weeks, 4 days |
| Friday, January 1, 2027 | 120 days | 17 weeks, 1 day |
| Monday, February 1, 2027 | 89 days | 12 weeks, 5 days |
| Monday, March 1, 2027 | 61 days | 8 weeks, 5 days |
| Thursday, April 1, 2027 | 30 days | 4 weeks, 2 days |
May 2027
Kentucky Derby 2027 facts
| Date | Saturday, May 1, 2027 |
|---|---|
| Day of the week | Saturday |
| Day of the year | Day 121 of 365 |
| ISO week | Week 17 |
| Leap year | 2027 is not a leap year |
| Quarter | Q2 2027 |
| Written as | 05/01/2027 (US), 01/05/2027 (UK), 2027-05-01 (ISO) |
| Moon phase | Waning crescent (UTC) |
| The one after | Saturday, May 6, 2028 |
| Last time | Saturday, May 2, 2026, 169 days ago |
About this count
Each midnight takes one off the 195. Today is left out and May 1 itself is counted, so on Friday, April 30 the page will show 1 day to go. US clocks go back on Sunday, November 1 and forward again on Sunday, March 14, 2027, which changes the hours but not the number of days.
In Excel or Google Sheets, =DATE(2027,5,1)-TODAY() gives the same 195 today; add 1 to count today as well.
This countdown to the Kentucky Derby 2027 was worked out on Sunday, October 18, 2026 (US Eastern time), and your browser recounts it from your own date when the page opens.
Related countdowns
Cite this page
APA: ClockTotals. (2026, October 18). How Many Days Until the Kentucky Derby 2027? https://clocktotals.com/days-until/kentucky-derby/
MLA: “How Many Days Until the Kentucky Derby 2027?” ClockTotals, 18 Oct. 2026, clocktotals.com/days-until/kentucky-derby/.
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