The race was run at 6:51 pm Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) on May 7, 2016, at Churchill Downs.

[6] The Post Position Draw of the entries for the Kentucky Derby was held Wednesday, May 4, 2016, at the Churchill Downs Racetrack clubhouse.

[10] At the start, Danzing Candy quickly took the lead and held onto it for seven furlongs (4,600 ft; 1,400 m) until fading.

[1] At the top of the stretch, Gun Runner, who had been running second or third throughout, briefly took the lead but was quickly surpassed by Nyquist.

Nyquist was the eighth undefeated winner in Kentucky Derby history, the first since Big Brown in 2008.