2020 Road to the Kentucky Derby

The 2020 Road to the Kentucky Derby was a series of races through which horses qualified for the 2020 Kentucky Derby, which was held on September 5 (rescheduled from the traditional first Saturday in May due to the coronavirus pandemic). The field for the Derby is limited to 20 horses, with up to four 'also eligibles' in case of a late withdrawal from the field. There are three separate paths for horses to take to qualify for the Derby: the main Road consisting of races in North America (plus one in Dubai), the Japan Road consisting of four races in Japan, and the European Road with seven European races in England, Ireland and France. The top four finishers in the specified races receive points, with higher points awarded in the major prep races. Earnings in non-restricted stakes races act as a tie breaker.

When originally announced in September 2019, the main Road to the Kentucky Derby would have remained substantially the same as the 2019 Road to the Kentucky Derby, consisting of 35 races, 19 races for the Kentucky Derby Prep Season and 16 races for the Kentucky Derby Championship Season. ^[1] Fair Grounds Race Course subsequently made minor changes to the length of the three qualifying races that it hosts: the Lecomte Stakes goes from a mile and 70 yards to 1+1⁄16 miles, the Risen Star from 1+1⁄16 to 1+1⁄8 miles, and the Louisiana Derby goes from 1+1⁄8 to 1+3⁄16 miles. ^[2] However, in March 2020, the growing coronavirus pandemic prompted the cancellation of several prep races, and the rescheduling of the Derby itself. Churchill Downs added more qualifying races to the series in May ^[3] which became known as the Extended Series.

Main Road to the Kentucky Derby

Standings

The following table shows the points earned in the eligible races for the main series. The ranking is for horses that are still pointing towards the race, as shown on the Derby Leaderboard published by Churchill Downs on August 22, ^[4] updated for subsequently announced withdrawals from the field. ^{[5] [6] [7] [8]}

Authentic, who was the eventual winner of the Kentucky Derby, qualified for the race in second place by winning the Haskell, Sham and San Felipe, plus finishing second in the Santa Anita Derby.

Rank [lower-alpha 1]	Horse	Points	Earnings [lower-alpha 2]	Trainer	Owner	Ref
1	Tiz the Law	372	$1,972,400	Barclay Tagg	Sackatoga Stable	[9]
2	Authentic	200	$980,000	Bob Baffert	Spendthrift Farm, MyRaceHorse Stable, Madaket Stables & Starlight Racing [lower-alpha 3]	[10] [11]
retired [lower-alpha 4]	Nadal	150	$1,020,000	Bob Baffert	George Bolton, Arthur Hoyeau, Barry Lipman & Mark Mathiesen	[13]
injured	Art Collector	150	$476,461	Thomas Drury Jr.	Bruce Lunsford	[14]
3	Honor A. P.	140	$340,000	John Shirreffs	C R K Stable	[15]
bypassing	Basin	110	$592,500	Steve Asmussen	Jackpot Farm	[13]
4	Ny Traffic	110	$472,820	Saffie Joseph Jr.	John Fanelli, Cash is King, LC Racing & Paul Braverman	[16]
injured [lower-alpha 5]	Wells Bayou	104	$765,000	Brad Cox	Lance and Clint Gasaway	[18]
5	King Guillermo [lower-alpha 6]	90	$317,050	Juan Carlos Avila	Victoria's Ranch	[20]
6	Thousand Words	83	$297,000	Bob Baffert	Albaugh Family Stables & Spendthrift Farm	[21]
bypassing [6]	Dr Post	80	$331,035	Todd Pletcher	St. Elias Stable	[22]
bypassing	Ete Indien	74	$357,156	Patrick L. Biancone	Linda Shanahan, Sanford Bacon, Dream With Me Stable, Horse France America, D P Racing & Patrick L. Biancone Racing	[23]
bypassing	Modernist	70	$369,000	William I. Mott	Pam & Martin Wygod	[24]
injured [lower-alpha 7]	Maxfield	60	$388,350	Brendan Walsh	Godolphin Stables	[25]
7	Max Player	60	$337,500	Steve Asmussen	George E. Hall & SportBLX Thoroughbreds	[26]
injured [7]	Caracaro	60	$205,000	Gustavo Delgado	Top Racing, Global Thoroughbreds	[27]
ill [lower-alpha 8]	Gouverneur Morris	54	$236,000	Todd Pletcher	Team Valor & WinStar Farm	[25]
injured [29]	Mr. Monomoy	52	$260,000	Brad Cox	Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, Doheny Racing Stable	[30]
bypassing	Mischevious Alex	50	$324,910	John Servis	Cash is King & LC Racing	[31]
bypassing	Country Grammer	50	$106,400	Chad Brown	Paul Pompa Jr.	[32]
bypassing [33]	Pneumatic [lower-alpha 9]	45	$169,250	Steve Asmussen	Winchell Thoroughbreds	[34]
8	Enforceable	43	$314,550	Mark Casse	John C. Oxley	[35]
bypass [lower-alpha 10]	Swiss Skydiver	40	$901,820	Kenneth McPeek	Peter J. Callahan	[37]
bypassing	Shivaree	40	$311,905	Ralph Nicks	Jacks or Better Farm	[38]
bypassing	Rushie	40	$108,000	Michael McCarthy	Jim Daniell & Donna Daniel	[11]
9	Major Fed	38	$179,100	Greg Foley	Lloyd Madison Farms	[24]
10	Storm the Court	36	$1,273,851	Peter Eurton	David A Bernsen, Exline-Border Racing, D. Hudock, S. Wilson	[39]
11	Attachment Rate	35	$93,675	Dale Romans	Jim Bakke & Gerald Isbister	[31]
bypassing	Anneau d'Or	32	$435,821	Blaine Wright	Peter Redekop	[40]
12	Sole Volante	30	$273,510	Patrick L. Biancone	Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Andie Biancone & Limelight Stables	[41]
13	Finnick the Fierce	25	$120,200	Rey Hernandez	Arnaldo Monge & Rey Hernandez	[35]
bypassing	Silver Prospector	21	$664,018	Steve Asmussen	Ed & Susie Orr	[35]
not nominated [42]	Field Pass	20	$229,960	Michael J. Maker	Three Diamond Farms	[43]
bypassing	Excession	20	$206,000	Steve Asmussen	Calumet Farm	[13]
bypassing	Candy Tycoon	20	$83,500	Todd Pletcher	Mathis Stable	[44]
bypassing	Untitled	20	$81,999	Mark Casse	Gary Barber & Michael B. Sebastian	[31]
14	Winning Impressions [lower-alpha 11]	20	$54,822	Dallas Stewart	West Point Thoroughbreds & Pearl Racing	[45]
bypassing	Shotski	19	$212,466	Jeremiah O'Dwyer	Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, Pantofel Stable & M. Karty	[46]
15	South Bend [lower-alpha 12]	18	$291,902	William I. Mott	Gary Barber, Adam Watchtel, Peter Deutsch, Leonard Schleifer	[47]
not nominated [42]	Jesus' Team	18	$80,000	Jose D'Angelo	Group 7 Racing	[16]
bypassing	Farmington Road	15	$101,000	Todd Pletcher	Eclipse Thoroughbreds, Chrysalia Stables & Robert LaPenta	[48]
bypassing [lower-alpha 13]	Independence Hall	14	$226,600	Michael J. Trombetta	Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Twin Creeks Racing Stables, Kathleen and Robert Verratti	[50]
bypassing	Silver State	14	$90,000	Steve Asmussen	Winchell Thoroughbreds & Willis Horton Racing	[30]
bypassing	Azul Coast	14	$80,500	Bob Baffert	Karl Watson, Mike Pegram, Paul Weitman	[10]
16	Necker Island	14	$74,808	Chris Hartman	Raymond Daniels & Wayne Scherr	[51]
bypassing	Shoplifted	13	$388,500	Steve Asmussen	Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stables & LNJ Foxwoods	[52]
bypassing	Eight Rings	10	$200,351	Bob Baffert	SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Freferick Hertrich III, John D. Fielding, Golconda Stables	[39]
bypassing [lower-alpha 14]	Dennis' Moment	10	$141,800	Dale Romans	Albaugh Family Stables	[53]
bypassing	Gold Street	10	$141,000	Steve Asmussen	Mike McCarty	[54]
bypassing	As Seen On Tv	10	$80,100	Kelly Breen	Screen Door Stables	[44]
not nominated [42]	Texas Swing	10	$35,000	Todd Pletcher	Harrell Ventures	[20]
bypassing	Three Technique	9	$80,000	Jeremiah Englehart	August Dawn Farm	[54]
bypassing	Invader	8	$107,140	Wesley Ward	Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stables & LNJ Foxwoods	[43]
bypassing	Ajaaweed	7	$95,000	Kiaran McLaughlin	Shadwell Stable	[25]
bypassing	Scabbard	6	$186,000	Eddie Kenneally	Joseph Sutton	[53]
bypassing	Answer In	6	$155,000	Brad Cox	Robert LaPenta & Madaket Stables	[52]
bypassing	Relentless Dancer	6	$29,750	Michael J. Maker	Paradise Farms, Terry Raymond, Jana Wagner	[23]
bypassing	Wrecking Crew	5	$301,000	Peter L. Miller	Rockingham Ranch & David Bernsen	[40]
bypassing	Montauk Traffic	5	$73,000	Linda L. Rice	Chris Fountoukis	[31]
bypassing	Mailman Money	5	$16,000	Bret Calhoun	Allied Racing Stable	[24]
bypassing	Green Light Go	4	$224,550	James Jerkens	Stronach Stables	[9]
bypassing	High Velocity	4	$97,000	Bob Baffert	Mary & Gary West	[21]
bypassing	American Theorem	4	$66,667	George Papaprodromou	Kretz Racing	[39]
bypassing	Royal Act	4	$31,644	Peter Eurton	C R K Stable	[55]
bypassing	Fancy Liquor	4	$23,500	Michael J. Maker	Skychai Racing & Sand Dollar Stable	[43]
not nominated [42]	American Farmer	4	$20,000	Steve Sherman	BKB Stables & Steve Sherman	[56]
bypassing	Prince of Pharoahs	3	$27,750	Linda L. Rice	Darlene Bilinski & Harry Patten	[50]
bypassing	Bourbon Bay	3	$24,000	Mark A. Hennig	Bourbon Lane Stable, Seidman Stables, Lake Lonely Racing	[50]
bypassing	Lebda [lower-alpha 15]	2	$150,125	Claudio Gonzalez	Joseph Besecker	[53]
bypassing	Big City Bob	2	$123,000	Jorge Duarte Jr.	Colts Neck Stables	[9]
not nominated [42]	Embolden	2	$82,000	Michael Stidham	Dare To Dream Stable	[52]
bypassing	Chase Tracker	2	$51,700	Todd Pletcher	St. Elias Stable	[46]
bypassing	Portos	2	$30,000	Todd Pletcher	Wertheimer et Frère	[26]
bypassing	Toledo [lower-alpha 16]	2	$24,500	Chad C. Brown	Juddmonte Farms	[23]
bypassing	Zimba Warrior	2	$24,500	J. Keith Desormeaux	Charles & Cynthia Marquis	[10]
not nominated [42]	Indian Peak	2	$16,500	Quinn Howey	Jill & William Gray	[56]
bypassing	Halo Again	2	$11,400	Steve Asmussen	Winchell Thoroughbreds & Willis Horton Racing	[43]
bypassing	Jungle Runner	1	$87,250	Steve Asmussen	Calumet Farm	[52]
bypassing	Monday Morning Qb	1	$75,000	Butch Reid Jr.	Cash is King and LC Racing	[26]
not nominated [42]	Gozilla	1	$72,000	Steve Asmussen	Zayat Stables	[9]
bypassing	Taishan	1	$51,000	Richard Baltas	Calvin Nguyen & Joey Tran	[10]
bypassing	Informative	1	$38,000	Uriah St. Lewis	Uriah St. Lewis	[46]
bypassing	Letmeno	1	$29,200	Ian Wilkes	Randall Bloch & Six Column Stables	[53]
bypassing	Express Train	1	$18,000	John Shirreffs	C R K Stable	[39]
not nominated [42]	Celtic Striker	1	$12,000	Raymond Handal	Imperial Racing	[50]
bypassing	Tiz Rye Time	1	$10,000	Ian Wilkes	Bourbon Lane Stable, Cleber J. Massey, Jim Gladden	[41]
bypassing	Tizamagician [lower-alpha 17]	1	$6,000	Richard Mandella	MyRacehorse.com & Spendthrift Farm	[55]
not nominated [42]	Wine and Whiskey	1	$6,000	Felix Rondan	Ruben Arechiga & Felix Rondan	[56]
ill [6]	Shirl's Speight	0 [lower-alpha 18]	$55,896	Roger Attfield	Charles Fipke	[10]
17	Money Moves	0 [lower-alpha 19]	0	Todd Pletcher	Robert LaPenta & Bortolazzo Stable	[6]

• Winner of Kentucky Derby in bold
• Sidelined/Inactive/No longer under Derby Consideration/Not nominated in gray

Prep season

Note: 1st=10 points; 2nd=4 points; 3rd=2 points; 4th=1 point (except the Breeders' Cup Juvenile: 1st=20 points; 2nd=8 points; 3rd=4 points; 4th=2 points)

Race	Distance	Purse	Track	Date	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Ref
Iroquois	1+1⁄16 miles	$200,000	Churchill Downs	Sep 14 2019	Dennis' Moment	Scabbard	Lebda	Letmeno	[53]
American Pharoah	1+1⁄16 miles	$301,404	Santa Anita	Sep 27 2019	Eight Rings	American Theorem	Storm the Court	Express Train	[39]
Champagne	1 mile	$500,000	Belmont	Oct 5 2019	Tiz the Law	Green Light Go	Big City Bob	Gozilla	[9]
Breeders' Futurity	1+1⁄16 miles	$500,000	Keeneland	Oct 5 2019	Maxfield	Gouverneur Morris	Enforcable	Ajaaweed	[25]
Breeders' Cup Juvenile	1+1⁄16 miles	$2,000,000	Santa Anita	Nov 1 2019	Storm the Court	Anneau D'or	Wrecking Crew	Scabbard	[40]
Kentucky Jockey Club	1+1⁄16 miles	$300,000	Churchill Downs	Nov 30 2019	Silver Prospector	Finnick the Fierce	Tiz the Law	Enforceable	[35]
Remsen	1+1⁄8 miles	$250,000	Aqueduct	Dec 7 2019	Shotski	Ajaaweed	Chase Tracker	Informative	[46]
Los Alamitos Futurity	1+1⁄16 miles	$200,000	Los Alamitos	Dec 7 2019	Thousand Words	Anneau D'or	High Velocity	Wrecking Crew	[21]
Springboard Mile	1 mile	$400,000	Remington	Dec 15 2019	Shoplifted	Answer In	Embolden	Jungle Runner	[52]
Jerome	1 mile	$150,000	Aqueduct	Jan 1 2020	Independence Hall	Prince of Pharoahs and Bourbon Bay [lower-alpha 20]		Celtic Striker	[50]
Sham	1 mile	$100,000	Santa Anita	Jan 4 2020	Authentic	Azul Coast	Zimba Warrior	Taishan	[10]
Lecomte	1+1⁄16 miles	$200,000	Fair Grounds	Jan 18 2020	Enforceable	Silver State	Mr. Monomoy	Finnick the Fierce	[30]
Smarty Jones	1 mile	$150,000	Oaklawn	Jan 24 2020	Gold Street	Three Technique	Shoplifted	Silver Prospector	[54]
Holy Bull	1+1⁄16 miles	$350,000	Gulfstream	Feb 1 2020	Tiz the Law	Ete Indien	Toledo	Relentless Dancer	[23]
Withers	1+1⁄8 miles	$250,000	Aqueduct	Feb 1 2020	Max Player	Shotski	Portos	Monday Morning Qb	[26]
Robert B. Lewis	1+1⁄16 miles	$150,000	Santa Anita	Feb 1 2020	Thousand Words	Royal Act	High Velocity	Tizamagician	[55]
Sam F. Davis Stakes	1+1⁄16 miles	$250,000	Tampa Bay	Feb 8 2020	Sole Volante	Independence Hall	Ajaaweed	Tiz Rye Time	[41]
El Camino Real Derby	1+1⁄8 miles	$100,000	Golden Gate	Feb 15 2020	Azul Coast	American Farmer	Indian Peak	Wine and Whisky	[56]
Southwest	1+1⁄16 miles	$750,000	Oaklawn	Feb 17 2020	Silver Prospector	Wells Bayou	Answer In	Shoplifted	[18]

Championship series events

First leg of series

Note: 1st=50 points; 2nd=20 points; 3rd=10 points; 4th=5 points

Race	Distance	Purse	Grade	Track	Date	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Ref
Risen Star Stakes [lower-alpha 21]	1+1⁄8 miles	$400,000	2	Fair Grounds	Feb 15 2020	Mr. Monomoy	Enforceable	Silver State	Farmington Road	Division 1 [48]
						Modernist	Major Fed	Ny Traffic	Mailman Money	Division 2 [24]
Fountain of Youth	1+1⁄16 miles	$400,000	2	Gulfstream Park	Feb 29 2020	Ete Indien	Candy Tycoon	As Seen On Tv	Shotski	[44]
Tampa Bay Derby	1+1⁄16 miles	$400,000	2	Tampa Bay	Mar 7 2020	King Guillermo	Sole Volante	Texas Swing	Relentless Dancer	[20]
Gotham Stakes	1 mile	$300,000	3	Aqueduct	Mar 7 2020	Mischevious Alex	Untitled	Attachment Rate	Montauk Traffic	[31]
San Felipe Stakes	1+1⁄16 miles	$401,000	2	Santa Anita	Mar 7 2020	Authentic	Honor A.P.	Storm the Court	Thousand Words	[15]
Rebel Stakes	1+1⁄16 miles	$1,000,000	2	Oaklawn	Mar 14 2020	Nadal	Excession	Basin	Three Technique	[13]
Sunland Derby	1+1⁄8 miles	$700,000	3	Sunland Park	Mar 22 2020	Cancelled [lower-alpha 22]

Second leg of series

These races are the major preps for the Kentucky Derby, and are thus weighted more heavily. Additional races are scheduled to be added in the summer as to make up for cancelled races towards the September 5 Derby. Note: 1st=100 points; 2nd=40 points; 3rd=20 points; 4th=10 points

Race	Distance	Purse	Grade	Track	Date	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Ref
Louisiana Derby	1+3⁄16 miles	$1,000,000	2	Fair Grounds	Mar 21 2020	Wells Bayou	Ny Traffic	Modernist	Major Fed	[60]
UAE Derby	1,900 metres (~1+3⁄16 miles)	$2,500,000	2	Meydan	Mar 28 2020	Cancelled [lower-alpha 23]
Florida Derby	1+1⁄8 miles	$750,000 [lower-alpha 24]	1	Gulfstream Park	Mar 28 2020	Tiz the Law	Shivaree	Ete Indien	Gouverneur Morris	[38]
Wood Memorial	1+1⁄8 miles	$1,000,000	2	Aqueduct	Apr 4 2020	Cancelled [lower-alpha 25]
Blue Grass Stakes	1+1⁄8 miles	$600,000	2	Keeneland	Moved to Extended Season [lower-alpha 26]
Arkansas Derby (Division 1) [lower-alpha 27]	1+1⁄8 miles	$497,500	1	Oaklawn Park	May 2, 2020 [lower-alpha 28]	Charlatan [lower-alpha 29]	Basin	Gouverneur Morris	Winning Impression	[45] [4]
Arkansas Derby (Division 2)	1+1⁄8 miles	$500,000	1	Oaklawn Park	May 2, 2020	Nadal	King Guillermo	Finnick the Fierce	Farmington Road	[69]
Santa Anita Derby	1+1⁄8 miles	$400,000	1	Santa Anita	Moved to Extended Season [lower-alpha 30]

'Wild Card' events

Note: 1st=20 points; 2nd=8 points; 3rd=4 points; 4th=2 points

Race	Distance	Purse	Track	Date	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Ref
Jeff Ruby Steaks	1+1⁄8 miles	$250,000	Turfway	Mar 14 2020	Field Pass	Invader	Fancy Liquor	Halo Again	[43]
Lexington Stakes	1+1⁄8 miles	$200,000	Keeneland	Apr 11 2020	Cancelled [lower-alpha 31]

Extended series events

The following races were announced for the extension of the Road to the Kentucky Derby as a result of the Derby being run in September instead of May. ^[72]

Race	Distance	Purse	Grade	Track	Date	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Ref
Matt Winn Stakes	1+1⁄16 miles	$150,000	3	Churchill Downs	May 23, 2020	Maxfield	Ny Traffic	Pneumatic	Attachment Rate	[34]
Santa Anita Derby	1+1⁄8 miles	$400,000 [lower-alpha 32]	1	Santa Anita	June 6, 2020 [lower-alpha 33]	Honor A. P.	Authentic	Rushie	Anneau d'Or	[11]
Belmont Stakes	1+1⁄8 miles	$1,000,000	1	Belmont Park	June 20, 2020	Tiz the Law	Dr Post	Max Player	Pneumatic	[22]
Ohio Derby	1+1⁄8 miles	$500,000	3	Thistledown Racino	June 27, 2020	Dean Martini	South Bend	Storm the Court	Rowdy Yates	[47]
Los Alamitos Derby	1+1⁄8 miles	$150,000	3	Los Alamitos	July 4, 2020	Uncle Chuck	Thousand Words	Cosmo	Great Power	[73]
Indiana Derby	1+1⁄16 miles	$500,000	3	Indiana Grand	July 8, 2020	Shared Sense	Major Fed	Necker Island	Earner	[51]
Blue Grass Stakes	1+1⁄8 miles	$600,000 [lower-alpha 34]	2	Keeneland	July 11, 2020 [lower-alpha 35]	Art Collector	Swiss Skydiver	Rushie	Enforceable	[14]
Peter Pan Stakes	1+1⁄8 miles	$100,000	3	Saratoga	July 16, 2020	Country Grammer	Caracaro	Mystic Guide	Celtic Striker	[32]
Haskell Invitational	1+1⁄8 miles	$1,000,000	1	Monmouth Park	July 18, 2020	Authentic	NY Traffic	Dr Post	Jesus' Team	[16]
Shared Belief Stakes	1 mile	$150,000		Del Mar	August 1, 2020	Thousand Words	Honor A.P.	Kiss Today Goodbye	Cezzane	[75]
Travers Stakes	1+1⁄4 miles	$1,000,000	1	Saratoga	August 8, 2020	Tiz the Law	Caracaro	Max Player	South Bend	[27]
Ellis Park Derby	1 mile	$100,000		Ellis Park	August 9, 2020	Art Collector	Attachment Rate	Necker Island	Rowdy Yates	[76]
Pegasus Stakes	1+1⁄16 miles	$200,000	3	Monmouth Park Racetrack	August 15, 2020	Pneumatic	Jesus' Team	Arkaan	Super John	[77]

Note:
Belmont Stakes: 1st=150 points; 2nd=60 points; 3rd=30 points; 4th=15 points
Blue Grass Stakes, Santa Anita Derby, Haskell Invitational, Travers Stakes: 1st=100 points; 2nd=40 points; 3rd=20 points; 4th=10 points
Matt Winn Stakes, Ellis Park Derby, Shared Belief Stakes, Peter Pan Stakes: 1st=50 points; 2nd=20 points; 3rd=10 points; 4th=5 points
Pegasus Stakes, Indiana Derby, Los Alamitos Derby, Ohio Derby: 1st=20 points; 2nd=8 points; 3rd=4 points; 4th=2 points

Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby

The Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby is intended to provide a place in the Derby starting gate to the top finisher in the series. If the connections of that horse decline the invitation, their place is offered to the second-place finisher and so on through the top four finishers. If neither of the top four accept, this place in the starting gate reverts to the horses on the main road to the Derby.

The top point earners were Café Pharoah (70 points), Danon Pharaoh (40 points), Herrschaft (40 points) and Dieu du Vin (26 points). None of the invitations were accepted. ^[4]

Races

Race	Distance	Track	Date	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Ref
Cattleya Sho	1,600 metres (~1 mile)	Tokyo Racecourse	Nov 23 2019	Dieu du Vin	Shonan Mario	Daimei Corrida	Aurora Tesoro	[78]
Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun	1,600 metres (~1 mile)	Kawasaki Racecourse	Dec 18 2019	Vacation	Iolite	T's Dunk	Meisho Tensui	[79] [80]
Hyacinth Stakes	1,600 metres (~1 mile)	Tokyo Racecourse	Feb 23 2020	Cafe Pharoah	Tagano Beauty	Yaugau	Longonot	[81]
Fukuryu Stakes	1,800 metres (~1+1⁄8 miles)	Nakayama Racecourse	Mar 28 2020	Herrschaft	T O Keynes	Miyaji Kokuo	American Face	[82]
Unicorn Stakes	1,600 meters	Tokyo Racecourse	Jun 21 2020	Cafe Pharoah	Dieu du Vin	Kenshinko	Thunder Blitz	[83]
Japan Dirt Derby	2,000 meters (~1+1⁄4 miles)	Oi Racecouse	Jul 8 2020	Danon Pharaoh	Daimei Corrida	Kitano Octopus	Bravoure

Note:Cattleya Sho: 1st=10 points; 2nd=4 points; 3rd=2 points; 4th=1 point
Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun: 1st=20 points; 2nd=8 points; 3rd=4 points; 4th=2 points
Hyacinth: 1st=30 points; 2nd=12 points; 3rd=6 points; 4th=3 points
Other 3 races : 1st=40 points; 2nd=16 points; 3rd=8 points; 4th=4 points

Qualification table

The top four horses (colored brown within the standings) are eligible to participate in the Kentucky Derby provided the horse is nominated.

Rank	Horse	Points	Eligible Earnings	Trainer	Owner	Ref
1	Cafe Pharoah	70		Noriyuki Hori	Koichi Nishikawa
2	Danon Pharaoh	40
2	Herrschaft	40
4	Dieu du Vin	26
5	Vacation	20
6	Daimei Corrida	18
7	T O Keynes	16
8	Tagano	12
9	Iolite	8
9	Kenshinko	8
9	Kitaro Octopus	8
9	Miyaji Kokuo	8
13	Yaugau	6
14	American Face	4
14	Bravoure	4
14	Shonan Mario	4
14	T's Dunk	4
14	Thunder Blitz	4
19	Longonot	3
20	Meisho Tensui	2
21	Aurora Tesoro	1

Notes:

• brown highlight – qualified on points but declined offer
• grey highlight – did not qualify

European Road to the Kentucky Derby

The European Road to the Kentucky Derby is designed on a similar basis to the Japan Road and is intended to provide a place in the Derby starting gate to the top finisher in the series. If the connections of that horse decline the invitation, their place is offered to the second-place finisher and so on. If none of the top four accept, this place in the starting gate reverts to the horses on the main road to the Derby.

The series was supposed to consist of seven races – four run on the turf in late 2019 when the horses were age two, plus three races run on a synthetic surface in early 2020. The last race in the series, the Cardinal Stakes, was postponed when horse racing in Britain was suspended from mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic. ^[84]

The top point earners were Nobel Prize (30 points), Crossfirehurricane (20 points), Chares (20 points) and Kameko (14 points). None of the invitations were accepted. ^[4]

Races

Race	Distance	Track	Date	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Ref
Royal Lodge Stakes	1 mile	Newmarket	Sep 28 2019	Royal Dornoch	Kameko	Iberia	Year Of The Tiger	[85]
Beresford Stakes	1 mile	The Curragh	Sep 29 2019	Innisfree	Shekhem	Gold Maze	Camorra	[86]
Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère	1,600 metres (about 1 mile)	Longchamp	Oct 6 2019	Victor Ludorum	Alson	Armory	Ecrivain	[87]
Vertem Futurity Trophy	1 mile	Newcastle [lower-alpha 36]	Nov 1 2019	Kameko	Innisfree	Year Of The Tiger	Mogul	[89]
Patton Stakes	1 mile	Dundalk	Feb 28 2020	Crossfirehurricane	Choice Of Mine	Orchid Gardens	Dutch Admiral	[90]
Road to the Kentucky Derby Conditions Stakes	1 mile	Kempton Park	Mar 4 2020	Chares	Berlin Tango	New World Tapestry	Naval Commander	[91]
Cardinal Stakes	1 mile	Chelmsford City	Apr 2 2020	Cancelled [84]

Note:

• the four races in 2019 for two-year-olds: 1st=10 points; 2nd=4 points; 3rd=2 points; 4th=1 point
• the first two races in 2020: 1st=20 points; 2nd=8 points; 3rd=4 points; 4th=2 points
• The Cardinal Stakes: 1st=30 points; 2nd=12 points; 3rd=6 points; 4th=3 points

Qualification table

The top four horses (colored brown within the standings) are eligible to participate in the Kentucky Derby provided the horse is nominated.

Rank	Horse	Points	Eligible Earnings	Trainer	Owner	Ref
1	Chares	20
1	Crossfirehurricane	20
3	Innisfree	14
3	Kameko	14
5	Royal Dornoch	10
5	Victor Ludorum	10
7	Berlin Tango	8
7	Choice of Mine	8
9	Alson	4
9	New World Tapestry	4
9	Orchid Gardens	4
9	Shekhem	4
13	Year Of The Tiger	3
14	Armory	2
14	Dutch Admiral	2
14	Gold Maze	2
14	Iberia	2
14	Naval Commander	2
19	Camorra	1
19	Ecrivain	1
19	Mogul	1

Notes:

• brown highlight – qualified on points but declined offer
• grey highlight – did not qualify

See also

• 2020 Road to the Kentucky Oaks

Notes

1. The ranking shown is based on the
2. Earnings from non-restricted stakes prior to the running of the Kentucky Derby serve as a tie-breaker.
3. Authentic's original ownership group was SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, F. Hertrich III, J. Fielding and Golconda Stables
4. Nadal was retired after sustaining a condylar fracture ^[12]
5. Wells Bayou sustained ankle bruising and is off the Kentucky Derby trail ^[17]
6. Originally King Guillermo was not nominated for the Triple Crown, but after his victory in the Tampa Bay Derby connections paid the late payment fee for nomination ^[19]
7. Maxfield has suffered a condylar fracture and off the Kentucky Derby trail ^[17]
8. Gouverneur Morris was diagnosed with colitis in June and was taken out of training to give him time to recover ^[28]
9. Originally Pneumatic was not nominated for the Triple Crown, but his connections paid the late payment fee for nomination
10. The filly qualified for entry to the Kentucky Derby, but her trainer confirmed they would run in the Kentucky Oaks ^[36]
11. Winning Impressions was a late nominee
12. South Bend's connections originally planned to bypass the race, but changed their mind in the final week
13. Connections of Independence Hall has decided to bypass the Kentucky Derby trail ^[49]
14. Dennis' Moment is not in consideration for the Kentucky Derby
15. Originally Lebda was not nominated for the Triple Crown, but his connections paid the late payment fee for nomination
16. Toledo is ahead of Zimba Warrior in the standings due to higher stakes earned from non-restricted stakes ^[4]
17. Tizamagician is ahead of Wine and Whiskey in the standings due to higher stakes earned from non-restricted stakes ^[4]
18. Shirl's Speight did not earn points on the Road, but became eligible for the race when there was still a position left in the starting gate after all point earners had made their decision about whether or not to enter. He was the top ranked non-points earner based on his graded stakes earnings from the Marine Stakes in Canada ^[57]
19. Money Moves did not earn points on the Road, but became eligible for the race when there was still a position left in the starting gate after all point earners and graded stakes earners had made their decision about whether or not to enter.
20. Dead heat for second place, both horses received three qualification points
21. Racing officials split the event into two divisions after the number of entries entered exceeded the number for one event ^[58]
22. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States the administration of Sunland Park cancelled the event ^[59]
23. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates the administration of Meydan Racetrack cancelled the World Cup meeting ^[61]
24. Originally the purse for the Florida Derby was $1,100,000 but due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States the administration of Gulfstream Park lowered the purse as the race was run behind closed doors while the accompany casino was closed. ^[62]
25. Originally scheduled for 4 April but due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, NYRA postponed racing at Aqueduct indefinitely. ^[63] The event was not rescheduled.
26. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States the administration of Keeneland cancelled the Spring meeting between April 2–24 including the Blue Grass Stakes ^[64] The event was moved to the Extended series events.
27. The event was split into two division after 22 entries were nominated as a result of race cancellations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Each division would carry a purse of $500,000 as the track was prepared to commit an additional $250,000 to the initial reduced $750,000 purse. Additionally, 20 entries were to be entered so that the split into divisions would occur. Qualification points for the first four finishers would be not be adjusted. ^[65]
28. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States the administration of Oaklawn Park moved the Arkansas Derby from April 4 and lowered the purse from $1 million to $750,000 as the race is run behind closed doors. ^[66] When the track announced that the event would be split into two divisions the purse returned to $1 million, with each division having a $500,000 purse. ^[65]
29. Charlatan crossed the finish line first but was subsequently disqualified for a test positive of lidocaine. The placings for the race were subsequently adjusted and the qualifying points were redistributed to the horses that ran behind him: Basin, Gouverneur Morris, Winning Impression & Anneau d'Or ^[4] However, after an appeal was lodged the Arkansas Racing Commission on 20 April 2021 ruled on restoring the original result. ^[67] The disqualification was later overturned on appeal. ^[68]
30. Originally scheduled for 4 April but due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, the administration of the track with instructions received from Los Angeles County Health Department postponed racing at Santa Anita until further notice. ^[70] On 30 April Santa Anita Park administration announced the reopening of the track on May 15 with the rescheduling of Santa Anita Derby to 6 June. ^[71] The event was moved to the Extended series events.
31. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States the administration of Keeneland cancelled the Spring meeting including the Lexington Stakes ^[64]
32. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States the administration of Santa Anita Park lowered the purse of the Santa Anita Derby from $1 million to $400,000. ^[71]
33. Santa Anita Derby was moved to the Extended Season due to rescheduling of the event. ^[72]
34. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States the administration of Keeneland lowered the purse of the Blue Grass Stakes from $1 million to $600,000. ^[74]
35. Blue Grass Stakes was moved to the Extended Season due to rescheduling of the event. ^[74]
36. Originally the race was scheduled on 26 October 2019 at Doncaster Racecourse but the event was canceled due to the waterlogged condition of the track. Event was rescheduled for Friday, 1 November 2019. ^[88]

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