2024 Road to the Kentucky Derby

The 2024 Road to the Kentucky Derby is a series of races through which horses qualified for the 2024 Kentucky Derby, which was held on May 4. The field for the Derby was limited to 20 horses, with up to four 'also eligibles' in case of a late withdrawal from the field. There were 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 consisting of seven races in England, Ireland and France. The top five finishers in the specified races received points, with higher points awarded in the major prep races in March and April. Earnings in non-restricted stakes races acted as a tie breaker.

For 2024, there are several changes in the Road to the Kentucky Derby. In the 2023 Road to the Kentucky Derby, there were of 37 races, with 22 races for the Kentucky Derby Prep Season and 15 races for the Kentucky Derby Championship Season. In 2024, the following changes were introduced: ^{[lower-alpha 1]}

• Second-place points in all qualifying races have been increased to create added separation from second and third-place finishers
• Third- and fourth-place points in races that award 100 points to winner have been decreased from 100-40-30-20-10 to 100-50-25-15-10
• The Grade III Street Sense Stakes, held on October 29 at Churchill Downs was added to the Early Prep Season
• The Grade III Sham Stakes was included in the original list of events, but Santa Anita Park did not schedule the event in 2024
• Santa Anita Park decreased the distance of the Robert B. Lewis Stakes from 1+1⁄16 miles to one mile
• The El Camino Real Derby was removed from the Early Prep Season
• For the Sunland Park Derby at Sunland Park, the qualification points were decreased from 50-20-15-10-5 to 20-10-6-4-2 and the distance of the event was decreased from 1+1⁄8 to 1+1⁄16 miles

Standings

The following table shows the points earned in the eligible races for the main series. ^[2] Entrants that have been nominated are ranked in the standings. ^[3]

As of May 1, 2024

Rank [2]	Horse	Points	Earnings [lower-alpha 2]	Trainer	Owner	Ref
1	Sierra Leone	155	$871,250	Chad C. Brown	Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Westerburg, Brook T. Smith & Peter Brant	[4]
2	Fierceness	136	$1,646,100	Todd A. Pletcher	Repole Stable	[5]
3	Catching Freedom	125	$802,000	Brad H. Cox	Albaugh Family Stables	[6]
4	Stronghold	125	$742,800	Philip D'Amato	Eric M. & Sharon Waller	[7]
5	Resilience	110	$416,000	William I. Mott	Emily Bushnell & Ric Waldman	[8]
6	Forever Young (JPN)	100	$1,769,919	Yoshito Yahagi	Susumu Fujita	[9]
7	Endlessly	100	$658,000	Michael McCarthy	Amerman Racing	[10]
bypassing [lower-alpha 3]	Timberlake	81	$1,132,500	Brad H. Cox	WinStar Farm & Siena Farm	[12]
8	Dornoch	75	$472,375	Danny Gargan	West Paces Racing, R. A. Hill Stable, Belmar Racing and Breeding, Two Eight Racing & Pine Racing Stables	[4]
9	Just a Touch	75	$247,500	Brad H. Cox	Qatar Racing, Resolute Racing & Marc Detampel	[13]
10	Track Phantom	70	$300,000	Steven M. Asmussen	L and N Racing, Clark O. Brewster, Jerry Caroom & Breeze Easy	[14]
11	West Saratoga	67	$363,640	Larry Demeritte	Harry L. Veruchi	[15]
12	Just Steel	65	$628,295	D. Wayne Lukas	BC Stables	[6]
13	Honor Marie [lower-alpha 4]	65	$448,455	Whitworth D. Beckman	Ribble Farms, Michael H. Eiserman, Earl I. Silver, Kenneth E. & Daniel Fishbein	[16]
14	Domestic Product	60	$260,500	Chad C. Brown	Klaravich Stables	[17]
15	Catalytic	50	$186,000	Saffie Joseph Jr.	Tami Bobo, Julie Davies & George G. Isaacs	[18]
bypassing [lower-alpha 5]	Deterministic	50	$180,000	Christophe Clement	St. Elias Stable, Ken Langone, C. Steven Duncker & Vicarage Stable	[13]
16	Society Man [lower-alpha 6]	50	$141,875	Danny Gargan	West Racing, Dean & Patti Reeves, Carl & Yurie Pascarella & GMP Stables	[21]
17	Mystik Dan	46	$550,050	Kenneth G. McPeek	Lance Gasaway, 4 G Racing & Daniel Hamby	[6]
injured [lower-alpha 7]	No More Time	45	$194,380	Jose D'Angelo	Morplay Racing	[23]
18–scratched [lower-alpha 8]	Encino	40	$323,880	Brad H. Cox	Godolphin Racing	[25]
19	Grand Mo the First	40	$164,250	Victor Barboza Jr.	Granpollo Stables	[26]
bypassing [27]	Common Defense	37	$253,450	Kenneth G. McPeek	David A. Bernsen, Michael & Tony Holmes & Norevale Farm	[28]
20	T O Password (JPN) [lower-alpha 9]	Japan	$120,474	Daisuke Takayanagi	Tomoya Ozasa
21 [lower-alpha 10]	Epic Ride	35	$198,654	John Ennis	Welch Racing	[25]
bypassing	Hades	30	$193,550	Joseph Orseno	D. J. Stable & Robert Cotran	[17]
bypassing	Uncle Heavy	30	$167,500	Robert E. Reid Jr.	Michael Milam	[29]
bypassing	El Grande O	30	$151,000	Linda Rice	Barry K. Schwartz	[30]
bypassing	Seize the Grey	27	$113,163	D. Wayne Lukas	MyRacehorse	[15]
bypassing	Le Dom Bro [lower-alpha 11]	25	$131,000	Eniel Cordero	Vicente Stella Stables	[31]
not nominated [3]	E J Won the Cup	25	$126,000	Doug F. O'Neill	Superfecta King Stable	[32]
bypassing	Pandagate	25	$100,206	Christophe Clement	Adelphi Racing Club, Madaket Stables, Corms Racing Stable & On The Rise	[9]
bypassing	Tuscan Gold	25	$100,000	Chad C. Brown	William H. Lawrence, Walmac Farm & Stonestreet Stables	[33]
bypassing	Protective	25	$75,000	Todd A. Pletcher	Repole Stable	[21]
injured [34]	Locked	19	$538,050	Todd A. Pletcher	Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners & Walmac Farm	[35]
bypassing	Liberal Arts	19	$262,825	Robert Medina	Evan & Stephen Ferraro	[15]
bypassing	Curlin's Kaos	19	$64,400	Antonio Garcia	Zephyr Racing & Alfred Pais	[36]
bypassing	Mc Vay	19	$48,500	John Shirreffs	C R K Stable	[37]
bypassing	Informed Patriot	18	$225,140	Steven M. Asmussen	J. Kirk Robison & Judy Robison	[38]
bypassing	Northern Flame	18	$143,800	Kenneth G. McPeek	John C. Oxley, Harold Lerner & AWC Stables	[35]
bypassing	Lucky Jeremy	16	$124,200	William Morey	Jeremy Ramsland	[36]
bypassing	Scatify	16	$42,000	John W. Sadler	West Point Thoroughbreds	[37]
bypassing	The Wine Steward	15	$276,010	Michael J. Maker	Paradise Farms & David Staudacher	[35]
bypassing	Mendelssohn Bay	15	$164,366	Bhupat Seemar	Suited & Booted Racing Syndicate	[9]
not nominated [3]	Frankie's Empire	15	$163,100	Michael Yates	Frank DeLuca	[31]
bypassing	Lonesome Boy	15	$94,314	Hugo Padilla	Pat Chinn & Mullan Chinn	[21]
bypassing	Triple Espresso	15	$76,600	Todd A. Pletcher	Repole Stable & St. Elias Stables	[10]
bypassing	Conquest Warrior	15	$46,500	Claude R. McGaughey III	Courtlandt Farms	[18]
22 [lower-alpha 12]	Mugatu	14	$30,107	Jeff Engler	Average Joe Racing Stables & Dan Wells	[25]
bypassing	Nash	13	$164,000	Brad H. Cox	Godolphin Racing	[14]
injured [39]	Drum Roll Please	13	$112,500	Brad H. Cox	Gold Square	[4]
bypassing	Agate Road	10	$214,750	Todd A. Pletcher	Repole Stable & St. Elias Stables	[23]
bypassing	Otto the Conqueror	10	$207,500	Steven M. Asmussen	Three Chimneys Farm	[40]
bypassing	Alotaluck	10	$180,360	Ty Garrett	Eleanor Martin	[36]
bypassing	Dancing Groom	10	$88,902	Antonio Sano	Eduardo Soto	[12]
not nominated [3]	Woodcourt	10	$79,275	Cipriano Contreras	Contreras Stable	[41]
bypassing	Maximus Meridius	10	$48,000	Robert Reid Jr.	LC Racing, Cash is King & Robert Reid Jr.	[13]
bypassing	Navy Seal	10	$42,668	Aidan O'Brien	Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier & Michael Tabor	[9]
bypassing	Tapalo	10	$35,000	John W. Sadler	Saratoga Glen Farm	[32]
bypassing	Real Macho	10	$30,000	Rohan Crichton	Reeves Thoroughbred Racing, Rohan Crichton, Daniel L. Walters & Dennis Smith	[31]
bypassing	Good Money	10	$30,000	Chad C. Brown	Calumet Farm	[26]
not nominated [3]	Risk It	8	$83,838	Steven M. Asmussen	Winchell Thoroughbreds & Three Chimneys Farm	[15]
bypassing	Moonlight	7	$59,000	Todd A. Pletcher	Town and Country Racing & Madaket Stables	[38]
bypassing	Lat Long	6	$36,500	Kenneth G. McPeek	Walking L Thoroughbreds	[42]
bypassing	Lightline	6	$31,500	Brad H. Cox	Albaugh Family Stables	[29]
not nominated [3]	Dilger (IRE)	6	$29,400	Saffie Joseph Jr.	Michael J. Ryan	[43]
bypassing	Blue Eyed George	6	$27,740	Michael McCarthy	BG Stables	[25]
not nominated [3]	Glengarry	5	$332,025	Doug Anderson	Aaron Kennedy, Toby Joseph & Doug Anderson	[40]
not nominated [3]	General Partner	5	$140,000	Chad C. Brown	Klaravich Stables	[12]
bypassing	Real Men Violin	5	$82,050	Kenneth G. McPeek	Tilted Shamrock Stables	[16]
bypassing	Dimatic	5	$78,750	Steven M. Asmussen	Winchell Thoroughbreds	[41]
bypassing	Awesome Road	5	$60,008	Brad H. Cox	Albaugh Family Stables	[16]
bypassing	Khanate	5	$28,000	Todd A. Pletcher	Calumet Farm	[30]
inactive [lower-alpha 13]	Snead	5	$20,000	Brendan Walsh	Imagine Racing & Margaret Fauber	[14]
bypassing	Capital Idea	5	$12,000	Christophe Clement	Reeves Thoroughbred Racing	[13]
bypassing	Heartened	5	$10,500	Todd A. Pletcher	St. Elias Stable, Ken Langone, Steven C. Duncker & Vicarage Stable	[26]
bypassing	Inveigled	4	$72,250	Jane Cibelli	Mark B. Grier	[17]
bypassing	Footprint	4	$63,600	Kenneth G. McPeek	Greg McDonald	[14]
bypassing	Elysian Meadows	4	$32,500	William I. Mott	Team Penney Racing	[23]
bypassing	Secret Chat	4	$27,120	Roderick Rodriguez	Gelfenstein Farm	[43]
bypassing	Gettysburg Address	4	$26,200	Brad H. Cox	WinStar Farm & Siena Farm	[38]
bypassing	Deposition	4	$22,500	Uriah St. Louis	Uriah St. Louis	[29]
injured [lower-alpha 14]	Ethan Energy	4	$8,000	Brad H. Cox	Stonestreet Stables	[42]
not nominated [3]	Magic Grant	3	$134,250	Eddie Milligan Jr.	Willis Horton Racing	[40]
bypassing	Be You	3	$66,500	Todd A. Pletcher	Repole Stable	[44]
not nominated [3]	Generous Tipper	3	$57,750	Kenneth G. McPeek	Walking L Thoroughbreds	[35]
inactive [lower-alpha 15]	Stretch Ride	3	$39,025	Dale L. Romans	West Point Thoroughbreds	[16]
not nominated [3]	Gold Sweep	2	$149,300	Steven M. Asmussen	Mike McCarty	[12]
not nominated [3]	Raging Torrent	2	$80,000	Doug F. O'Neill	Great Friends Stables & Mark Davis	[44]
bypassing	Fulmineo	2	$61,000	Arnaud Delacour	Starlight Racing & Mark B. Grier	[23]
not nominated [3]	Third Street	2	$25,380	Shawn H. Davis	Shawn H. Davis & Bill Carnes	[40]
inactive [lower-alpha 16]	Regalo	2	$10,000	Brittany Russell	Harry Papaleo	[30]
bypassing	Moonlit Sonata	2	$8,000	Tim Yakteen	Soma Racing Stable	[37]
inactive [lower-alpha 17]	Ode to Balius	2	$6,160	Concepcion Torres	Arnaldo Monge	[25]
bypassing	Tizzy Indy	2	$4,000	J. Keith Desormeaux	Calumet Farm	[42]
not nominated [3]	Sweet Soddy J	1	$165,250	Raymond Ginter Jr.	Built Wright Stables	[30]
euthanized [45]	Where's Chris	1	$110,500	Richard E. Dutrow Jr.	Nice Guys Stable	[4]
inactive [lower-alpha 18]	Air Cav	1	$33,500	Brad H. Cox	Calumet Farm	[12]
not nominated [3]	Rothschild	1	$26,500	Tim Yakteen	SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Dianne Bashor, Robert E. Masterson, Waves Edge Capital, Catherine Donovan & Tom Ryan	[44]
not nominated [3]	My Buddy Mel	1	$24,000	Danny Pish	Heider Racing Stables, Duffy's Racing Stable & Striking Stables	[40]
not nominated [3]	Ace of Clubs	1	$19,500	Doug F. O'Neill	RJ Racing, Fritz Brothers Racing, Pappas Horse Racing & Pablo A. Suarez	[7]
inactive [lower-alpha 19]	Edified	1	$16,797	Steven M. Asmussen	Courtlandt Farms	[15]

Legend:
  Qualified for the Derby
  Also eligible
  Scratched
  Injured/Bypassing/Inactive/Not nominated

Prep season

Initial prep events

Note: 1st=10 points; 2nd=5 points; 3rd=3 points; 4th=2 points; 5th=1 point (except the Breeders' Cup Juvenile: 1st=30 points; 2nd=15 points; 3rd=9 points; 4th=6 points; 5th=3 points)

Race	Distance	Purse	Track	Date	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	Ref
Iroquois	1 mile	$300,000	Churchill Downs	Sep 16 2023	West Saratoga	Risk It	Liberal Arts	Seize the Grey	Edified	[15]
Champagne	1 mile	$500,000	Aqueduct	Oct 7 2023	Timberlake	General Partner	Dancing Groom	Gold Sweep	Air Cav	[12]
American Pharoah	1+1⁄16 miles	$301,500	Santa Anita	Oct 7 2023	Muth [lower-alpha 20]	Wine Me Up [lower-alpha 20]	Be You	Raging Torrent	Rothschild	[44]
Breeders' Futurity	1+1⁄16 miles	$580,750	Keeneland	Oct 7 2023	Locked	The Wine Steward	Generous Tipper	Northern Flame	West Saratoga	[35]
Street Sense	1+1⁄16 miles	$199,000	Churchill Downs	Oct 29 2023	Liberal Arts	Moonlight	Informed Patriot	Gettysburg Address	Northern Flame	[38]
Breeders' Cup Juvenile	1+1⁄16 miles	$2,000,000	Santa Anita	Nov 3 2023	Fierceness	Muth [lower-alpha 21]	Locked	Timberlake	Prince of Monaco [lower-alpha 21]	[5]
Kentucky Jockey Club	1+1⁄16 miles	$400,000	Churchill Downs	Nov 25 2023	Honor Marie	Real Men Violin	Stretch Ride	Risk It	Awesome Road	[16]
Remsen	1+1⁄8 miles	$250,000	Aqueduct	Dec 2 2023	Dornoch	Sierra Leone	Drum Roll Please	Moonlight	Where's Chris	[4]
Springboard Mile	1 mile	$300,000	Remington	Dec 15 2023	Otto the Conqueror	Glengarry	Magic Grant	Third Street	My Buddy Mel	[40]
Los Alamitos Futurity	1+1⁄16 miles	$200,000	Los Alamitos	Dec 16 2023	Wynstock [lower-alpha 22]	Stronghold	Coach Prime [lower-alpha 22]	Wine Me Up [lower-alpha 22]	Ace of Clubs	[7]
Gun Runner Stakes	1+1⁄16 miles	$98,000	Fair Grounds	Dec 23 2023	Track Phantom	Snead	Nash	Footprint	Risk It	[14]
Smarty Jones	1 mile	$300,000	Oaklawn	Jan 1 2024	Catching Freedom	Just Steel	Informed Patriot	Gettysburg Address	Mystik Dan	[6]
Jerome	1 mile	$145,500	Aqueduct	Jan 6 2024	Drum Roll Please	El Grande O	Khanate	Regalo	Sweet Soddy J	[30]
Sham	1 mile	$100,000	Santa Anita	Jan 7 2024	Race not scheduled [lower-alpha 23]

Select prep events

Note: 1st=20 points; 2nd=10 points; 3rd=6 points; 4th=4 points; 5th=2 points

Race	Distance	Purse	Grade	Track	Date	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	Ref
Lecomte	1+1⁄16 miles	$194,000	3	Fair Grounds	Jan 20 2024	Track Phantom	Nash	Lat Long	Ethan Energy	Tizzy Indy	[42]
Southwest	1+1⁄16 miles	$800,000	3	Oaklawn	Feb 3 2024 [lower-alpha 24]	Mystik Dan	Just Steel	Liberal Arts	Awesome Road	Common Defense	[28]
Holy Bull	1+1⁄16 miles	$260,000	3	Gulfstream	Feb 3 2024	Hades	Domestic Product	Fierceness	Inveigled	Dancing Groom	[17]
Robert B. Lewis [lower-alpha 25]	1 mile	$201,000	3	Santa Anita	Feb 3 2024	Nysos [lower-alpha 26]	Wine Me Up [lower-alpha 26]	Scatify	Mc Vay	Moonlit Sonata	[37]
Withers	1+1⁄8 miles	$250,000	3	Aqueduct	Feb 3 2024	Uncle Heavy	El Grande O	Lightline	Deposition	Khanate	[29]
Sam F. Davis Stakes	1+1⁄16 miles	$200,000	3	Tampa Bay	Feb 10 2024	No More Time	Agate Road	West Saratoga	Elysian Meadows	Fulmineo	[23]
Sunland Park Derby [lower-alpha 27]	1+1⁄16 miles	$400,000	3	Sunland Park	Feb 18 2024	Stronghold	Alotaluck	Lucky Jeremy	Curlin's Kaos	Informed Patriot	[36]
John Battaglia Memorial	1+1⁄16 miles	$142,500		Turfway	Mar 2 2024	Encino	Epic Ride	Blue Eyed George	Mugatu	Ode to Balius	[25]

Championship series events

First leg of series

Note: 1st=50 points; 2nd=25 points; 3rd=15 points; 4th=10 points; 5th=5 points

Race	Distance	Purse	Grade	Track	Date	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	Ref
Risen Star	1+1⁄8 miles	$400,000	2	Fair Grounds	Feb 17 2024	Sierra Leone	Track Phantom	Catching Freedom	Resilience	Honor Marie	[8]
Rebel	1+1⁄16 miles	$1,250,000	2	Oaklawn	Feb 24 2024	Timberlake	Common Defense	Northern Flame	Woodcourt	Dimatic	[41]
Fountain of Youth	1+1⁄16 miles	$400,000	2	Gulfstream	Mar 2 2024	Dornoch	Le Dom Bro	Frankie's Empire	Real Macho	Dancing Groom	[31]
Gotham	1 mile	$300,000	3	Aqueduct	Mar 2 2024	Deterministic	Just a Touch	El Grande O	Maximus Meridius	Capital Idea	[13]
San Felipe	1+1⁄16 miles	$294,000	2	Santa Anita	Mar 3 2024 [lower-alpha 28]	Imagination [lower-alpha 29]	Wine Me Up [lower-alpha 29]	Mc Vay	Scatify	—	[51]
Tampa Bay Derby [lower-alpha 30]	1+1⁄16 miles	$350,000	2	Tampa Bay	Mar 9 2024	Domestic Product	No More Time	Grand Mo the First	Good Money	Heartened	[26]

Second leg of series

These races are the major preps for the Kentucky Derby, and are thus weighted more heavily.
Note: 1st=100 points; 2nd=50 points; 3rd=25 points; 4th=15 points; 5th=10 points

Race	Distance	Purse	Grade	Track	Date	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	Ref
Louisiana Derby	1+3⁄16 miles	$1,000,000	2	Fair Grounds	Mar 23 2024	Catching Freedom	Honor Marie	Tuscan Gold	Track Phantom	Common Defense	[33]
Jeff Ruby	1+1⁄8 miles	$700,000	3	Turfway	Mar 23 2024	Endlessly	West Saratoga	Seize the Grey	Triple Espresso	Lucky Jeremy	[10]
UAE Derby	1,900 metres (~1+3⁄16 miles)	$1,000,000	2	Meydan	Mar 30 2024	Forever Young	Auto Bahn [lower-alpha 31]	Pandagate	Mendelssohn Bay	Navy Seal	[9]
Florida Derby	1+1⁄8 miles	$1,000,000	1	Gulfstream	Mar 30 2024	Fierceness	Catalytic	Grand Mo The First	Conquest Warrior	Hades	[18]
Arkansas Derby	1+1⁄8 miles	$1,500,000	1	Oaklawn Park	Mar 30 2024	Muth [lower-alpha 32]	Just Steel	Mystik Dan	Timberlake	Informed Patriot	[53]
Blue Grass Stakes	1+1⁄8 miles	$995,782	1	Keeneland	Apr 6 2024	Sierra Leone	Just a Touch	Epic Ride	Dornoch	Mugatu	[54]
Santa Anita Derby	1+1⁄8 miles	$750,000	1	Santa Anita	Apr 6 2024	Stronghold	Imagination [lower-alpha 33]	E J Won the Cup	Curlin's Kaos	Tapalo	[32]
Wood Memorial	1+1⁄8 miles	$750,000	2	Aqueduct	Apr 6 2024	Resilience	Society Man	Protective	Lonesome Boy	Uncle Heavy	[21]

"Wild Card" events

Note: 1st=20 points; 2nd=10 points; 3rd=6 points; 4th=4 points; 5th=2 points

Race	Distance	Purse	Track	Date	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	Ref
Lexington	1+1⁄8 miles	$365,500	Keeneland	Apr 13 2024	Encino	The Wine Steward	Dilger (IRE)	Secret Chat	Footprint	[43]

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 neither of the top four accept, this place in the starting gate reverts to the horses on the main road to the Derby.

The series consists of seven races – four run on the turf in late 2023 when the horses are age two, plus three races run on a synthetic surface in early 2024.

Race	Distance	Track	Date	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	Ref
Beresford Stakes	1 mile	The Curragh	Sep 23 2023	Deepone	Chief Little Rock	Grosvenor Square	Navy Seal	Stromberg	[55]
Royal Lodge Stakes	1 mile	Newmarket	Sep 30 2023	Ghostwriter	Al Musmak	Capulet	Macduff	Son	[56]
Prix Jean-Luc Lagardère	1,400 metres (about 7 furlongs)	Longchamp	Oct 1 2023	Rosallion	Unquestionable	Beauvatier	Henry Adams	Zabiari	[57]
Kameko Futurity Trophy	1 mile	Doncaster	Oct 28 2023	Ancient Wisdom	Devil's Point	God's Window	Deira Mile	Dancing Gemini	[58]
European Road to the Kentucky Derby Conditions Stakes	1 mile	Kempton Park	Feb 21 2024	Notable Speech	Cuban Tiger	Solomon	Arctic Thunder	Blown Away	[59]
Patton Stakes [lower-alpha 34]	1 mile	Dundalk	Mar 1 2024	Bergamasco	Nerano	Navy Seal	—	—	[60]
Cardinal Stakes	1 mile	Chelmsford City	Apr 6 2024	Bracken's Laugh	Orne	Capulet	Under The Sun	Bergamasco	[61]

Note:

• the four races in 2023 for two-year-olds: 1st=10 points; 2nd=5 points; 3rd=3 points; 4th=2 points; 5th=1 point
• the first two races in 2024: 1st=20 points; 2nd=10 points; 3rd=6 points; 4th=4 points; 5th=2 points
• The Cardinal Condition Stakes: 1st=30 points; 2nd=15 points; 3rd=9 points; 4th=6 points 5th=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
not nominated	Bracken's Laugh	30	$7,577	Richard Hughes	Bernardine & Sean Mulryan
not nominated	Bergamasco	23	$0	Jack Davison	JPD Partnership
not nominated	Notable Speech	20	$0	Charlie Appleby	Godolphin
not nominated	Orne	15	$141,212	John & Thady Gosden	Al Shaqab Racing
not nominated	Capulet	12	$46,909	Aiden O'Brien	Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier & Michael Tabor
not nominated	Rosallion	10	$204,855	Richard Hannon	Shiekh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum
not nominated	Ancient Wisdom	10	$202,894	Charlie Appleby	Godolphin
not nominated	Deepone	10	$91,103	Paddy Tworney	Vimal Khosla
not nominated	Ghostwriter	10	$86,506	Clive Cox	J. C. Smith
not nominated	Nerano	10	$0	Joseph O'Brien	R & S Racing
not nominated	Cuban Tiger	10	$0	Karl Burke	Shiekh Mohammed Obaid Al Maktoum
1	Navy Seal	8	$12,688	Aiden O'Brien	Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier & Michael Tabor

Notes:

• brown highlight – qualified
• grey highlight – did not qualify

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 five finishers.

Race	Distance	Track	Date	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	Ref
Cattleya Stakes	1,600 metres (~1 mile)	Tokyo Racecourse	Nov 25	Amante Bianco	George Tesoro	Unquenchable	Star Turn	ƒ More Than Once	[62]
Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun	1,600 metres (~1 mile)	Kawasaki Racecourse	Dec 13	Forever Young	Aigle Noir	Saint Honore	Nasty Weather	Satono Phoenix	[63] [64]
Hyacinth	1,600 metres (~1 mile)	Tokyo Racecourse	Feb 18	Ramjet	Unquenchable	Habire	Logi Adelaide	Chikappa	[65]
Fukuryu	1,800 metres (~1+1⁄8 miles)	Nakayama Racecourse	Mar 23	T O Password	Arare Tabashiru	Amber Doll	La Oracion	Sunrise Soleil	[66]

Note:
ƒ Filly
Cattleya Sho: 1st=10 points; 2nd=5 points; 3rd=3 points; 4th=2 points; 5th=1 point
Zen-Nippon Nisai Yushun: 1st=20 points; 2nd=10 points; 3rd=6 points; 4th=4 points; 5th=2 points
Hyacinth: 1st=30 points; 2nd=15 points; 3rd=9 points; 4th=6 points; 5th=3 points
Fukuyru : 1st=40 points; 2nd=20 points; 3rd=12 points; 4th=8 points; 5th=4 points

Qualification Table

The top five 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	T O Password	40	$120,474	Daisuke Takayanagi	Tomoya Ozasa	qualified
2	Ramjet	30	$273,343	Shozo Sasaki	Koji Maeda
3	Forever Young	20	$569,451	Yoshito Yahagi	Susumu Fujita
4	Arare Tabashiru	20	$168,430	Yasuhiro Nemoto	Mitsuhiro Fukuda
not nominated	Unquenchable	18	$140,848	Mizuki Takayanagi	Godolphin Racing
not nominated	Amber Doll	12	$73,941	Tatsuya Yoshioka	Yoshizawa Holdings Co. Ltd.
5	Aigle Noir	10	$422,168	Hidetaka Otonashi	Shadai Race Horse Co.
6	Amante Bianco	10	$224,966	Keisuke Miyata	Silk Racing Co. Ltd.
7	Habire	9	$91,421	Ryo Takei	Shinichi Koga
not nominated	La Oracion	8	$121,858	Makoto Saito	DMM Dream Club Co. Ltd.

Notes:

• brown highlight – qualified
• grey highlight – did not qualify

Controversy

Owner Amr Zedan of Grade 1 Arkansas Derby winner Muth, on April 3, filed a temporary injunction that would require Churchill Downs to allow his horse into the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby (G1) field. Muth is trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who is suspended from entering and racing horses at tracks owned by Churchill Downs. The suspension was extended last summer. On April 18, Jefferson Circuit Judge Mitch Perry denied Zedan's temporary injunction motion after three hearings to schedule matters and hear arguments. ^[67] Perry's ruling was appealed to the Kentucky Court of Appeals on April 24, but the order was upheld. ^[68]

See also

• 2025 Road to the Kentucky Derby

Notes

1. See the following list ^[1] for details
2. Earnings from non-restricted stakes prior to the running of the Kentucky Derby serve as a tie-breaker.
3. Connections of Timberlake have declared that the horse will bypass the Kentucky Derby ^[11]
4. Honor Marie was originally owned by Legion Racing who sold the horse to Ribble Farms. After winning the Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes, in 2024 additional part-owners were added.
5. Connections of Deterministic have decided that the horse will bypass the Kentucky Derby ^[19]
6. Originally, Society Man was owned by West Racing, Danny Gargan & GMP Stables, but after the Wood Memorial, Danny Gargan sold his part and West Racing also sold a partial interest to form a new partnership ^[20]
7. No More Time after a workout on April 14 suffered an injury and x-rays revealed a condylar fracture of the left front leg ^[22]
8. Encino drew into the starting field but was scratched after training on April 30 when he was considered "off", and "diagnosed with a soft tissue strain that will require 30 days off". ^[24]
9. T O Password accepted as Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby qualifier
10. Epic Ride entered the Kentucky Derby field as an also eligible, but after the scratching of Encino enters the Kentucky Derby as a starter
11. Originally Le Dom Bro was not nominated for the Triple Crown, but after his placing in the Fountain Of The Youth Stakes connections paid the late payment fee for nomination to the Triple Crown
12. Mugatu entered the Kentucky Derby field as an also eligible
13. Off the Derby Trail ^[2]
14. Off the Derby Trail ^[2]
15. Off the Derby Trail ^[2]
16. Off the Derby Trail ^[2]
17. Off the Derby Trail ^[2]
18. Off the Derby Trail ^[2]
19. Off the Derby Trail ^[2]
20. Horse trained by an individual suspended from the 2024 Kentucky Derby does not receive any qualification points. Muth and Wine Me Up are trained by Bob Baffert who is suspended by Churchill Downs Inc. through 2024. ^[46]
21. Horse trained by an individual suspended from the 2024 Kentucky Derby does not receive any qualification points. Muth and Prince of Monaco are trained by Bob Baffert who is suspended by Churchill Downs Inc. through 2024. ^[46]
22. Horse trained by an individual suspended from the 2024 Kentucky Derby does not receive any qualification points. Wynstock, Coach Prime and Wine Me Up are trained by Bob Baffert who is suspended by Churchill Downs Inc. through 2024. ^[46]
23. Originally the Sham Stakes was on the list of qualification event on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, but later Santa Anita Park announced their stakes schedule for the 2023–24 winter season and they did not schedule the Sham Stakes in 2024 ^[47]
24. Originally the Southwest Stakes was scheduled for January 27, 2024 but due to a cancellation of racing from January 19–21 at Oaklawn Park, the administration of the track moved all events back one week. ^[48]
25. In 2024 the distance of the Robert B. Lewis Stakes was decreased from 1+1⁄16 miles to one mile ^[47]
26. Horse trained by an individual suspended from the 2024 Kentucky Derby does not receive any qualification points. Nysos and Wine Me Up are trained by Bob Baffert who is suspended by Churchill Downs Inc. through 2024. ^[46]
27. In 2024 the distance of the Sunland Park Derby was decreased from 1+1⁄8 miles to 1+1⁄16 miles ^[49]
28. Originally, the San Felipe Stakes was scheduled to be held on March 2, 2024, but due to expected inclement weather forecasted for that day the track's administration moved the day's meeting to Sunday, March 3, 2024 ^[50]
29. Horse trained by an individual suspended from the 2024 Kentucky Derby does not receive any qualification points. Imagination and Wine Me Up are trained by Bob Baffert who is suspended by Churchill Downs Inc. through 2024. ^[46]
30. The Tampa Bay Derby was held with limited betting due to failure of the totalisator system ^[52]
31. As a four-year-old Southern Hemisphere bred, Auto Bahn is ineligible to enter the Kentucky Derby. Thus he was not awarded any qualification points
32. Horse trained by an individual suspended from the 2024 Kentucky Derby does not receive any qualification points. Muth is trained by Bob Baffert who is suspended by Churchill Downs Inc. through 2024. ^[46]
33. Horse trained by an individual suspended from the 2024 Kentucky Derby does not receive any qualification points. Imagination is trained by Bob Baffert who is suspended by Churchill Downs Inc. through 2024. ^[46]
34. There were only three starters in the Patton Stakes

References

1. "2023/24 Kentucky Derby Prep Races" (PDF). Churchill Downs Inc. October 8, 2023. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
2. "Road to the Kentucky Derby Leaderboard" (PDF). www.kentuckyderby.com. 22 April 2024. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
3. "2024 Triple Crown Nominations". TheTripleCrown.com. BloodHorse. February 2024.
4. "2023 Remsen Stakes - Grade 2 (race 9)". Equibase. 2 December 2023. Retrieved 2 December 2023.
5. "2023 FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance - Grade 1 (race 8)". Equibase. 3 November 2023. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
6. "2024 Smarty Jones Stakes Listed (race 9)". Equibase. 1 January 2024. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
7. "2023 Los Alamitos Futurity - Grade 2 (race 9)". Equibase. 16 December 2023. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
8. "2024 Risen Star Stakes Grade 2 (race 14)". Equibase. 17 February 2024. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
9. "2024 UAE Derby (Group 2)". Racing Post. 30 March 2024. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
10. "2024 Jeff Ruby Steaks Grade 3 - (race 12)". Equibase. 23 March 2024. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
11. Collins, Sean (2 April 2024). "Timberlake Declared Out of Kentucky Derby; Timberlake finished fourth March 30 in the Arkansas Derby (G1)". Bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
12. "2023 Champagne Stakes Grade 1 – (race 8)". Equibase. 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
13. "2024 Gotham Stakes Grade 3 (race 10)". Equibase. 2 March 2024. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
14. "2023 Gun Runner Stakes Black Type (race 12)". Equibase. 23 December 2023. Retrieved 24 December 2023.
15. "2023 Iroquois Stakes Grade 3 – (race 9)". Equibase. 16 September 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2023.
16. "2023 Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes - Grade 2 (race 11)". Equibase. 25 November 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
17. "2024 Holy Bull Stakes Stakes Grade 3 (race 12)". Equibase. 3 February 2024. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
18. "2024 Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa Grade 1 - (race 14)". Equibase. 30 March 2024. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
19. Perez, Joe (21 April 2024). "Clement Confirms Deterministic Out of Kentucky Derby; The $200,000 Peter Pan Stakes might be a logical next race". Bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
20. Grening, David (11 April 2024). "Society Man gets new owners ahead of Kentucky Derby". drf.com. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
21. "2024 Wood Memorial S. Presented by Resorts World Casino Grade 3 - (race 10)". Equibase. 6 April 2024. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
22. Grening, David (14 April 2024). "No More Time hurt during workout, will miss Kentucky Derby". drf.com. Daily Racing Form . Retrieved 14 April 2024.
23. "2024 Sam F. Davis Stakes Grade 3 (race 10)". Equibase. 10 February 2024. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
24. Grening, David (30 April 2024). "Injury Forces Encino Out of Derby; Epic Ride In; Trainer Brad Cox said his trainee was "off after training" at Churchill Downs". Bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
25. "2024 John Battaglia Memorial Listed (race 6)". Equibase. 2 March 2024. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
26. "2024 Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby Grade 3 - (race 11)". Equibase. 9 March 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
27. Free, Brad (24 April 2024). "Kentucky Derby: Who's hot, who's not for April 24, 2024". drf.com. Daily Racing Form . Retrieved 25 April 2024. Common Defense, the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes runner-up who would have been first into the field with one more defection, reportedly missed a workout and will not enter.
28. "2024 Southwest Stakes Stakes Grade 3 (race 11)". Equibase. 3 February 2024. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
29. "2024 Withers Stakes Grade 3 (race 9)". Equibase. 3 February 2024. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
30. "2024 Jerome Stakes Black Type (race 3)". Equibase. 6 January 2024. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
31. "2024 Coolmore Fountain of Youth Stakes Grade 2 (race 14)". Equibase. 2 March 2024. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
32. "2024 Santa Anita Derby Grade 1 - (race 10)". Equibase. 6 April 2024. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
33. "2024 Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby Grade 2 - (race 12)". Equibase. 23 March 2024. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
34. King, Byron (8 March 2024). "Over' for Locked Due to Knee Injury; He won the Breeders' Futurity (G1) last fall and was third in the BC Juvenile (G1)". BloodHorse.com. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
35. "2023 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity Grade 1 – (race 9)". Equibase. 7 October 2023. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
36. "2024 Sunland Park Derby Grade 3 (race 9)". Equibase. 18 February 2024. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
37. "2024 Robert B. Lewis Stakes Grade 3 (race 5)". Equibase. 3 February 2024. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
38. "2023 Street Sense Stakes Grade 3 – (race 10)". Equibase. 29 October 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
39. "Jerome Winner Drum Roll Please Off Derby Trail". Thoroughbred Daily News. 19 January 2024. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
40. "2023 Remington Springboard Mile Stakes - Listed (race 9)". Equibase. 15 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
41. "2024 Rebel Stakes Grade 2 (race 11)". Equibase. 24 February 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
42. "2024 Lecomte Stakes Grade 3 (race 13)". Equibase. 20 January 2024. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
43. "2024 Stonestreet Lexington Stakes Grade 1 - (race 10)". Equibase. 13 April 2024. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
44. "2023 American Pharoah Stakes Grade 1 – (race 9)". Equibase. 7 October 2023. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
45. Grening, Dacid. "Where's Chris, Constitutionlawyer die after Belmont training accident". Daily Racing Form. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
46. Willman, Mike (7 October 2023). "Muth Beats Baffert Stablemate Wine Me Up In American Pharoah". Paulick Report. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
47. "Stakes (2023-24)". santaanita.com. Santa Anita Park. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
48. Collins, Sean (18 January 2024). "Southwest Moves to Feb. 3 as Oaklawn Navigates Weather The Fifth Season Stakes will run Jan. 27 as all Southwest Day stakes move to Feb. 3". Bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
49. "Sunland Park Derby (Gr. 3)". Equibase. 2024. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
50. "Santa Anita Postpones Big Cap, Other Stakes to March 3 Races originally intended for the March 3 program will take place March 4". Bloodhorse.com. Santa Anita Park. 29 February 2024. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
51. "2024 DK Horse San Felipe Stakes Grade 2 (race 6)". Equibase. 3 March 2024. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
52. King, Byron (9 March 2024). "Tote Problems Tarnish Tampa Bay Derby Card Final race canceled; wagering halted on Tampa Bay Derby (G3) with payouts in limbo". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
53. "2024 Arkansas Derby Grade 1 - (race 12)". Equibase. 30 March 2024. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
54. "2024 Toyota Blue Grass Stakes Grade 1 - (race 10)". Equibase. 6 April 2024. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
55. "Alan Smurfit Memorial Beresford Stakes (Group 2)". racingpost.com. 23 September 2023. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
56. "Juddmonte Royal Lodge Stakes (Group 2)". 30 September 2023. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
57. "Qatar Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere (Grand Criterium) (Group 1)". 1 October 2023. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
58. "Kameko Futurity Trophy Stakes (Group 1)". Racing Post. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
59. ""European Road To The Kentucky Derby" Conditions Stakes (GBB Race)". Racing Post. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
60. ""Patton Race"". Racing Post. 1 March 2024. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
61. "Woodford Reserve Cardinal Conditions Stakes". Racing Post. 6 April 2024. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
62. "Saturday, November 25, 2023, TOKYO Race 9: CATTLEYA STAKES". Umanity – Japan Racing English results site. 25 November 2023. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
63. "Forever Young Jumps to Lead In Japan Road to KY Derby". The Blood-Horse . Retrieved 2023-12-14.
64. "ZENNIPPON NISAI YUSHUN". jbis.jp. Japan's Largest Horse Racing Information Database - JBIS Search. 13 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
65. "Hyacinth (Result)". Umanity – Japan Racing English results site. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
66. "FUKURYU STAKES - 23/3/2024 Nakayama10R|Result". Umanity!. 2024-03-23. Retrieved 2024-03-23.
67. Downey, Dick (18 April 2024). "Zedan Injunction Bid to Allow Muth in KY Derby Denied Bob Baffert and his horses, such as Muth, remain barred from racing at CDI tracks". bloodhorse.com. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
68. Downey, Dick (24 April 2024). "Court of Appeals Denies Zedan Emergency Motion Order entered late April 24 upholds earlier ruling in Louisville" . Retrieved 25 April 2024.