2020 Kentucky Derby expected to be pushed back to September 5

The coronavirus has shuttered every major professional sports league in the United States – the UFC was the last to postpone events (next three for now) Monday – and it appears that the biggest horse race on the planet, the Kentucky Derby, is going to be the next domino to fall.

Churchill Downs, host to the first Triple Crown race the first Saturday of May each year, is expected on Tuesday morning to announce that the 146th Run for the Roses will be pushed back to September 5. That would be quite an epic day of sports as Sept. 5 is also the first full Saturday of college football action. Seems likely that the Preakness Stakes and Belmont would also be pushed back.

The last time the Kentucky Derby was not raced on the first Saturday in May was 1945, because of World War II. It was held on June 9 that year.

Another Kentucky track, Keeneland, canceled its spring meet on Monday. It had been scheduled to host two Kentucky Derby prep races, the Bluegrass Stakes on April 4, and the Lexington Stakes on April 11.

The current favorites to win the Kentucky Derby are Authentic and Charlatan, both +700 on the horse racing picks. Authentic, trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, has won all three of his career races, most recently the Grade II San Felipe States on March 7. Charlatan, also trained by Baffert, is 2-0 in his career and won a 10 1/4-length allowance race in dominant fashion on Saturday at Santa Anita Park.