Getty Rosie Napravnik sits atop Believe You Can with the lillies after winning the 138th running of the Kentucky Oaks
The annual Kentucky Oaks horse race is held every year on the Friday before the Kentucky Derby. This year the Kentucky Oaks will take place on Friday, May 5.
Coverage of the Oaks Day races, including the main event Kentucky Oaks (5:51 p.m. ET post time), will be televised on USA Network from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET.
If you don’t have cable, you can watch a live stream on FuboTV or DirecTV Stream, which both include USA Network and come with a free trial.
Those are the two best live stream options if you’re cutting cable and you want a free option, but there are also some other alternatives, so here’s a full guide on the different ways to watch the 2023 Kentucky Oaks streaming live online:
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FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of USA Network and 100-plus other TV channels on FuboTV, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch the 2023 Kentucky Oaks live on the FuboTV app or FuboTV website.
Compatible devices for the FuboTV app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch live on the NBC Sports app or NBCSports.com. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your Fubo credentials to do that.
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” USA Network is included in every one, and you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free five-day trial:
Once signed up for DirecTV Stream, you can watch the 2023 Kentucky Oaks live on the DirecTV Stream app or DirecTV Stream website.
Compatible devices for the DirecTV Stream app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch live on the NBC Sports app or NBCSports.com. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your DirecTV Stream credentials to do that.
Peacock TV
If you’ve used up all your free trials for other streaming services, this is the cheapest way to watch a live stream of the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby–a simulcast of NBC’s coverage will be on Peacock Premium, which costs $4.99 per month:
Once signed up for Peacock, you can watch the 2023 Kentucky Oaks live on the Peacock TV app or Peacock TV website.
Compatible devices for the Peacock TV app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
Sling TV
You can watch a live stream of USA Network and 40-plus other TV channels via Sling TV’s “Sling Blue” package. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but it’s the cheapest long-term streaming service with sports channels, and you can get your first month half off:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch the 2023 Kentucky Oaks live on the Sling TV app or Sling TV website.
Compatible devices for the Sling TV app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), airTV Mini, Oculus, Portal, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch live on the NBC Sports app or NBCSports.com. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your Sling credentials to do that.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of USA Network and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which also includes access to both ESPN+ and Disney+ at no extra cost:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch the 2023 Kentucky Oaks live on the Hulu app or Hulu website.
Compatible devices for the Hulu app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, Nintendo Switch, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch live on the NBC Sports app or NBCSports.com. You’ll need to sign in to a cable provider to watch this way, but you can use your Hulu credentials to do that.
Kentucky Oaks 2023 Preview
The Kentucky Oaks dates back to 1875 and, along with the Kentucky Derby, is the oldest continuously contested sporting event in the United States. The key difference between the two races is that the Oaks can only be three-year-old thoroughbred fillies (female horses that are too young to be called mares), while the Derby is open to horses of either sex, though according to Derby Experiences, it is unusual for female horses to compete in the Derby, so the two races are generally split along male-female lines. In the Derby’s history, only three female horses have ever won — Regret in 1915, Genuine Risk in 1980 and Winning Colors in 1988.
Genuine Risk and Winning Colors are the only fillies to ever compete in all three Triple Crown races. Winning Colors took third at the Preakness Stakes and sixth at the Belmont Stakes, while Genuine Risk took second at both races in 1980.
But the Kentucky Oaks is the premier horserace for fillies. The winner takes home a large purse of $750,000 and a garland of lillies, which is why the Oaks’ nickname is “Lillies for the Fillies.” The Derby is known as the “Run for the Roses.”
Those attending in person are asked to incorporate pink into their outfits. According to the Kentucky Derby website, “The focus on pink both honors the Oaks official flower, the stargazer lily, and celebrates Churchill Downs’ advocacy and fundraising efforts for women’s health issues.”
The site continues:
On Kentucky Oaks Day, Churchill Downs Racetrack is a vision in pink as more than 100,000 guests are asked to incorporate pink into their attire in an effort to drive national attention to the fight against breast and ovarian cancer. One of the most beloved traditions of this 15-year effort is the Survivors Parade – a march of breast and ovarian cancer survivors that takes place on the historic racetrack prior to the running of the Longines Kentucky Oaks. We look forward to hosting 149 deserving survivors and fighters for this unforgettable experience on Friday, May 5, 2023.
The Kentucky Oaks charitable initiative has raised more than $1,000,000 for women’s health advocacy since its inception. This year, Churchill Downs has partnered with the Breast Health Program at Norton Cancer Institute and Horses & Hope to support their life saving efforts in the state of Kentucky.
The list of fillies competing in the main event in 2023 are as follows:
1. Mimi Kakushi, 20-1
2. The Alys Look, 15-1
3. Gambling Girl, 15-1
4. Southlawn, 8-1
5. Wonder Wheel, 12-1
6. Botanical, 4-1
7. Wet Paint, 5-2
8. Promiseher America, 30-1
9. And Tell Me Nolies, 15-1
10. Flying Conection, 15-1
11. Defining Purpose, 12-1
12. Dorth Vader, 20-1
13. Affirmative Lady, 10-1
14. Pretty Mischievous, 10-1
The USA Network and Peacock are covering the Kentucky Oaks Day races all afternoon on Friday, May 5, with a post time of the main event set for 5:51 p.m. Eastern.
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Kentucky Oaks 2023 Live Stream: How to Watch Online for Free