Kentucky Derby 2023: Weather forecast, chance of rain for the day of the race

The 2023 Kentucky Derby is set for Saturday, May 6 with a post time of 6:57 p.m. at Churchill Downs in Kentucky. The iconic Run for the Roses is the first of the Triple Crown races, and this year will mark the 149th edition of the event.

Florida Derby winner Forte is the current betting favorite with 3-1 odds, followed by Tapit Trice at 5-1. Both horses are trained by eight-time Eclipse Award winner Todd Pletcher. Angel of Empire, trained by Brad Cox, is the third favorite at 8-1 odds. Four horses trained by Cox will be competing this weekend.

Since the race is outdoors, weather conditions always have a large impact on the event. Per Horse Racing Nation, the coldest temperature ever recorded for the Kentucky Derby was 36 degrees in May 4, 1940 and May 4, 1957. The warmest temperature was 94 degrees in May 2, 1959.

As of Tuesday, it's looking like Saturday will be a mostly pleasant one -- unlike Friday's Kentucky Oaks, which is expected to experience some rain. There will likely be clouds in the sky during the Kentucky Derby afternoon, and a high temperature around 75 degrees.

Here is a look at the weather predictions for this Saturday:

2023 Kentucky Derby forecast

Service:The Weather Channel
Projected weather: Cloudy in the afternoon
Projected temperatures: High of 75, low of 54 degrees
Race-time projection: 73 degrees
Chance of rain: 24% chance that day

Service:AccuWeather
Projected weather: Mostly cloudy
Projected temperatures: High of 74, real feel of 72 degrees while standing in the sun
Race-time projection: Mostly cloudy
Chance of rain: 12% chance of rain during the afternoon