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"There is a super-big horse race on Saturday, and people will be talking about it. Here's what you need to know: \nWhat is the Kentucky Derby?\nThe Kentucky Derby is what horse people call a Grade I stakes race for 3-year-old thoroughbred horses. It\u2019s been held every year since 1875 in Louisville, Kentucky, always on the first Saturday in May, at the Churchill Downs racetrack. It's been called \u201CThe Most Exciting Two Minutes In Sports\u201D or alternatively, \u201CThe Run for the Roses,\u201D because, well, it lasts for two very exciting minutes, and its winner is draped in a blanket of roses.\nWhat\u2019s all this talk about a Triple Crown?\nThe Triple Crown refers to the three premiere races for thoroughbred horses in the United States: the Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes. Only 11 horses have ever claimed the three-peat, with the most recent champion crowning his mane in 1978 (that horse was named Affirmed). The only horse name you\u2019ll probably recognize is Secretariat, and yep, that horse won the Triple Crown in 1973. \n\n\n\nAfter a 25 year gap, many thought the Triple Crown was impossible. Then Secretariat came along. pic.twitter.com/EbBxsR7VYm\u2014 Racing Photos (@horseracingpics) March 30, 2014\n\n\n\nA few horses have gotten close, and broken our hearts over the years, with Smarty Jones making a run in 2004, Big Brown in 2008 and I\u2019ll Have Another in 2012. This is the first race of the three.\nWhat time is this year\u2019s race?\nThe 2014 Kentucky Derby\u2019s post time is 6:24 p.m. ET. \nThere are a few others races earlier in the day, and NBC will have wall-to-wall coverage detailing all the story lines and backstories of the horses and horse facts, so you should really plan on settling in around 5 p.m. A word of warning: You are never ready for the start of the race. Nobody truly is. Use the bathroom early, fill your drinks and wait diligently by the TV starting at 6 p.m. It\u2019ll be over before you know it. Don't miss it. \nHow can I watch the race?\nIf you\u2019re reading Mashable's Derby guide, then we\u2019re guessing you\u2019re not sitting between the Twin Spires at Churchill Downs. That's okay. We won't be there, either; for this, we have NBC. The network's coverage of the 140th Kentucky Derby starts at 4 p.m. ET and continues through 7 p.m. ET. You can listen to it on the Horse Racing Radio Network (HRRN) on Sirius Channel 93 &amp; XM 208, beginning at 5 p.m. ET, or you can tune in online at NBCSports.com and TwinSpires.com \u2014 where you can gamble, too. Naturally, you could also go to a local race track, and watch on their TVs for a semi-real experience of being at the event itself \u2014 that\u2019s always fun and weird. \nYour best bet is probably to find a local Kentucky Derby party, dress up and have yourself a fancy Saturday.\nWhich horses are the favorites?\n\n\n\nNow that the post positions are set....who's your #KyDerby 140 pick? pic.twitter.com/5niX8zBsWF\u2014 Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) April 30, 2014\n\n\n\nThe 5-2 favorite at this year\u2019s Derby is California Chrome, which is starting from the favorable No. 5 starting spot. The horse\u2019s owners are hoping it will be the first California-bred horse to win the Derby in more than 50 years, while its trainer, Art Sherman, is aiming to become the oldest to win the race, at 77. \n\n\n\n\"The #KyDerby is the race you want to win and I'm privileged to be here with everyone.\" -Art Sherman @ShermanRacing\u2014 Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) April 30, 2014\n\n\n\nIt's a pretty fast horse! Faster than pretty much all the other horses it has raced against, in fact. Case in point: Watch what happens around the final turn at April\u2019s Santa Anita Derby:\n\nFast horse, right?\nThe second choice horse to win, Hoppertunity, was scratched from the race as of Thursday due to a bruised left foot \u2014 so forget that guy. \nA third horse, Vicars in Trouble, drew a bad post at No. 1 (the spot closest to the fence), which means its jockey, Rosie Napravnik, will have a harder time becoming the first female to ride a horse to victory at the Derby \u2014 oddsmakers still have Vicars at 30-1. Still, that would be a fun one.\nSome other horses to watch for \u2014 based purely on the hilarity of their names alone \u2014 include Uncle Sigh, Danza, Commanding Curve, Candy Boy and Wicked Strong (which, yes, is from the Boston area).\nWhat are the interesting story lines?\nOh boy, are there story lines \u2014 and you're sure to hear all about them on Saturday.\nAs we said, Rosie Napravnik is hoping to ride Vicar's In Trouble to victory, becoming the first female jockey to win the Kentucky Derby. She rode Mylute to a fifth-place finish at last year\u2019s race, and undoubtedly wants to do better in 2014. \nCalifornia Chrome has a pretty neat backstory, the kind that makes you realize that could be your horse on the track one day. \nVinceremos comes from a therapeutic riding center.\nWicked Strong was named to honor the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. Some survivors will be there as guests of the horse's owners.\n10% of Uncle Sigh's earnings will go to Wounded Warrior Project, and will be earmarked for vets returning home from war.\nWe Miss Artie is named after a guy named Artie, who died two years ago, and is missed by his family.\nDanza was named after Tony Danza \u2014 and Tony, naturally, is a fan. He'll be cheering his namesake on from the grandstands.\nHow can I bet?\nSave your money. Or don't. There are plenty of sites on the Internet. The official website is TwinSpires.com.\nHow do I make a mint julep?\nGood question! The Kentucky Derby\u2019s website says the drink has been \u201Cthe traditional beverage of Churchill Downs and the Kentucky Derby for nearly a century.\u201D They serve over 120,000 of these bad boys at each Derby, requiring more than 10,000 bottles of Early Times Mint Julep Ready-to-Serve Cocktail, 1,000 pounds of mint and 60,000 pounds of ice, according to the site. \nTo make your own, you\u2019re going to need sugar, water, springs of fresh mint, crushed ice and whisky. \n\n\n\n\nThe official recipe states that you\u2019ll have to make a simple syrup by boiling together sugar and water for a few minutes, and refrigerating it overnight with mint. They also sell simple syrup in stores, so if you\u2019re hosting a party, that\u2019s probably the easier route.\nYou then fill a cup with ice, add a tablespoon of the mint syrup and two ounces of whisky. Stir, and plop in some mint. \u2028Enjoy (responsibly).\nOr just do this:\n\n\n\nA reminder of the best mint julep recipe out there: Pour bourbon. Throw mint in garbage. Drink bourbon. Repeat.\u2014 Adam Kramer (@KegsnEggs) May 2, 2014\n\n\n\nThen go cook a whole bunch of delicious Derby food.\nWhat's the deal with the hats?\n\n\n\nIt's never too early to take a look at the hats of Oaks #KyOaks #KyDerby http://t.co/KJ0kYZVHPf pic.twitter.com/ZXrxhpdsef\u2014 Courier-Journal.com (@courierjournal) May 2, 2014\n\n\n\nAh, the hats. They're a whole thing. Usually they are quite fancy, and a staple of Derby fashion for years. Now, Pizza Hut's even gotten in the game, with hats created by Project Runway designer Angela Bacskocky.\nAl Roker likes his Derby hats.\n\nTell me a fun fact!\nOkay. Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski have signed on as NBC\u2019s \u201Cfashion experts.\u201D NBC apparently liked their on-air commentary during the Sochi Olympics so much that executives thought the duo was worth bringing back for a repeat. \n\n\n\nSuper excited to join the @NBCSports team covering the @KentuckyDerby! Juleps, southern charm and a custom hat by @KERINROSEGOLD, \"Nayyy.\"\u2014 Johnny Weir (@JohnnyGWeir) April 22, 2014\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nVisit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy\ntl;dr: Horses will run fast Saturday evening, and people will win or lose lots of money while wearing silly hats.\nHave something to add to this story? 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<http://mashable.com/2014/05/03/kentucky-derby-time/>