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]
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]
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
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] |
Race not scheduled [lower-alpha 23] |
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] | |
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] |
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] |
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] |
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 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:
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
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:
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]
Robert A. Baffert is an American racehorse trainer who is considered one of the most successful and influential trainers in the history of horse racing. He has trained two Triple Crown winners: American Pharoah in 2015 and Justify in 2018. Baffert's horses have won the Kentucky Derby six times, tying the record with Ben A. Jones for wins by a trainer. He holds the trainer record for Preakness Stakes with eight wins and has won the Belmont Stakes and Kentucky Oaks three times each.
Point Given was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 2001 American Horse of the Year. That year, he won the Preakness Stakes, Belmont Stakes, Haskell Invitational, and Travers Stakes, becoming the first horse ever to win four $1 million races in a row. The only time he finished out of the money was in the 2001 Kentucky Derby, where he ran fifth. Point Given was inducted into the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 2010.
The Alysheba Stakes is a Grade II American Thoroughbred horse race for horses aged three and older over a distance of 1+1⁄16 miles (1.7 km). It is held annually in early May on the dirt on the Kentucky Oaks day meeting at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky, during the spring meeting.
Blame is a retired American champion Thoroughbred racehorse, a winner of nine races in 13 starts including the prestigious Breeders' Cup Classic.
The Road to the Kentucky Derby is a points system by which horses qualify for a position in the starting gate for the Kentucky Derby. It features dozens of stakes races for 2 and 3-year-old Thoroughbreds – the number and specific races have changed slightly over the years. The point system replaced a previous qualifying system that looked at earnings from all graded stakes races worldwide.
The 2018 Road to the Kentucky Derby was a series of races through which horses qualified for the 2018 Kentucky Derby, which was held on May 5. 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 34 races in North America plus one in Dubai, the Japan Road consisting of three races in Japan, and a new European Road consisting of seven races in England, Ireland and France.
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. 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, 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.
The 2020 Kentucky Derby was the 146th Kentucky Derby, and took place on Saturday, September 5, 2020, in Louisville, Kentucky. The race is one of the three legs of the American Triple Crown, open to three-year-old Thoroughbreds. The Kentucky Derby was originally scheduled for the first Saturday of May, but the 2020 running was rescheduled to September 5, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Kentucky. It was won by Authentic.
The 2021 Road to the Kentucky Derby was a series of races through which horses qualified for the 2021 Kentucky Derby, which was held on May 1. 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 were three separate paths for horses to take to qualify for the Derby: the main Road consisting of races in North America, the Japan Road consisting of four races in Japan, and seven European races in England, Ireland and France. The top four 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.
The 2021 Kentucky Derby was the 147th running of the Kentucky Derby. It took place on May 1, 2021, in Louisville, Kentucky. The field was open to 20 horses, who qualified for the race by earning points on the 2021 Road to the Kentucky Derby. The Kentucky Derby is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds at a distance of 1+1⁄4 miles (2.0 km) and has been run at Churchill Downs racetrack since its inception in 1875. The purse for 2021 was US$3 million.
Medina Spirit was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who finished first in the 2021 Kentucky Derby before being disqualified. He came second in the 2021 Breeders' Cup Classic and third in the 2021 Preakness Stakes.
The 2022 Road to the Kentucky Derby is a series of races through which horses qualified for the 2022 Kentucky Derby, which was held on May 7. 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, the Japan Road consisting of four races in Japan, and the European road consisting of seven 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 in March and April. Earnings in non-restricted stakes races act as a tie breaker.
Corniche is a retired Champion American thoroughbred racehorse who, as a two-year-old, won the American Pharoah Stakes and Breeders' Cup Juvenile.
The 2022 Kentucky Derby took place on Saturday, May 7, 2022, at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. It was the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby, a 1+1⁄4 miles (2.0 km) Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbreds. The Derby is held annually at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May since its inception in 1875. The 20 horses that ran in the Derby qualified by earning points in the 2022 Road to the Kentucky Derby.
The 2023 Road to the Kentucky Derby is a series of races through which horses qualified for the 2023 Kentucky Derby, which was held on May 6. 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, 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.
Taiba is a retired American Thoroughbred racehorse who has won multiple Grade I events as a three-year-old in 2022 including the Santa Anita Derby and Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita Park and Pennsylvania Derby at Parx Racing.
White Abarrio is a multiple Grade I winning American Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2022 he won the Florida Derby and competed against the best three-year-olds in the US. In 2023, as a four-year old, he won the Grade I Whitney Stakes at Saratoga Race Course and the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita Park.
The 2024 Kentucky Derby was the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby. It took place on May 4, 2024, at Churchill Downs, in Louisville, Kentucky. The race was open to 20 horses, who qualified through the 2024 Road to the Kentucky Derby.
Muth is a multiple Grade I winning American Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2023, the two-year-old colt won the Grade I American Pharoah Stakes at Santa Anita Park. In 2024, he won the Grade I Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park.
Stronghold is a multiple-Grade winning American Thoroughbred racehorse. In 2024, as a three-year-old colt, he won the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita Park.
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.